Someone Worth Remembering
by ladyxmockingxbird
Summary: Ira Manning had failed at everything she had vowed to do in the arena that is until she stumbles upon a career tribute...half dead and in the middle of nowhere. Cato/OC plus all the fav tributes.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Pastries

_A/N _So this is my first HG fanfic published here and just a heads up, this chapter is just introducing my characters. More action and obviously more Cato in the next one.

-Effie/Haymitch have magically joined District 6. I couldn't just leave them out.

-Dany is based on the boy tribute from District 4 in the movie.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything to do with The Hunger Games.

* * *

_He's still breathing. I can tell from the subtle swelling of his chest that he's not actually dead which ofcourse is a silly thing to think. Clearly he wouldn't be here if he was. His sword has been tossed haphazardly to the side, well from his reach. But other than that he looks as if he might have just set up camp for the night or possibly even sleeping. A few scratches line his arms but there is no serious injury that I can see. Despite all this I can't help but feel like this is a trap. My every instinct is telling me to run but I'm frozen. Where are the rest of them? And why in the world is the biggest threat of the Hunger Games lying half dead in the middle of nowhere?_

* * *

The elevator ride down is frustratingly slow. It's only the second time we've taken this trip but it still feels like the first. I know what is waiting for us in the training room and it does little to ease my anxiety. The rows upon rows of weapons, the harsh odour of cleaning products and of course the threatening glares from the career tributes just waiting to rip me limb from limb. I can't let it get to me though, whatever happens they can't know how much the games are actually affecting me. If not for me than for the person beside me.

I glance down at the little boy next to me, my district partner, Dany. He's only twelve… or thirteen. I can't actually remember but talking to him he might as well be an eighteen year old like like me. And despite his childish tendencies, he's a genius. Though small, his head of wild orange hair adds about five inches to his height, a stark comparison to the pale skin common of District 6. I, myself, am quite pale as well, my blonde hair gradually darkening. In District 6, the transportation sector, we don't get outside much. Its school and then once your eighteen straight into the factories, manufacturing engine parts or if you're lucky sent out to different districts in the maintenance crews. Either way my future was pretty much written in stone until the reaping.

We're a strange pair, this small bright boy who doesn't seem to have a care in the world and myself. Unfortunately I fail to share the same optimism. I'm not coming out these games. I just hope in the end they will remember me as something other than the timid blonde girl who didn't stand a chance. I know I'm not completely useless but if my first training session yesterday proved anything it's that the odds are definitely against me.

"Time to put on the brave face, hey Ira?" Dany looks up grinning. I can tell he's mocking me. I have been on his back about putting on a brave face since the reaping. There's no doubt he's beginning to get annoyed with my little pointers, but something about him makes me want to keep him safe. I've never had any siblings before so perhaps this is what it feels like.

"Yeah, perhaps it's a good idea" I laugh back at his comment. I've said it more time than I care to remember.

"Well I'll going to be superman and you can be wonder woman" He strikes his best superman pose but this time the smile doesn't reach his eyes. I cringe thinking back to our reaping.

There was nothing particularly unusual about the day. Our escort Effie Trinket up on stage rambling about the joyous occasion, there were people crying, names were called. Ira Manning and Dany Millbrook. Our names. I blocked out the rest. They would be watching and I had to look immune to it all. And then was my partner. Dany was fisting his hands in his hair trying to stop crying; all the while Effie was pestering him to come up on stage. Once again I'm reminded that he still is a child.

The ping of the elevator signals we've reached the training centre. I take a deep breath before the doors open and force myself to stand up a little straighter. Before I have a chance to stop him, Dany is running out of the elevator, sliding down the stairs handrail and heading straight towards the buffet of snacks on the opposite wall. Typical. I try to pretend his immaturity doesn't reflect badly, even managing to crack a smile. In any other situation I would have been laughing but I quickly realise we're being watched.

The training centre is about half full with tributes. Some wander aimlessly, assessing each station while others try their hand at the different weapons. I recognise the two from eight out by the swimming pool and instantly remember I need to teach Dany how to swim. But it's not their glances that cause me trouble. The careers lounge together in the corner of the training room, sniggering and making comments as I make my way down the stairs. I catch the words '_easy_' and '_spear_' from the boy, Marvel. From what I learned yesterday, he isn't the brightest of tributes but he's not to be underestimated. Glimmer, also from his district, has chosen today to keep his lap warm. I still haven't made up my mind on her. Then there are the ones from district two. Clove is very verbal in her disgust of my district and the others add their share of comments on our '_repulsive little swamp'_. The boy however, remains quiet, just watching. Despite my best efforts to keep my face impassive, I tense. Cato knows he unnerves me. Shaking it off, I make my way over to Dany who's currently stuffing his face with some sort of caramel pastry.

'_Well at least he might put on some body weight. God knows he could use it.'_

I slot in beside him and take a jar of red liquorice twists over to a seat behind the table. This way I'm partially out of the careers' view.

"He's staring again" Dany whines as he joins me.

"Maybe he wants you to join his alliance" I add sarcastically and grab a nearby book of medicinal plants.

"Perhaps I should stare back!" I think he's joking but suddenly he leans out from behind the table, eyeing the careers. I quickly grab him by the scruff of his collar, reefing him back. He laughs at my reaction.

"What did I tell you about encouraging them?" I hiss at him but can't help but find it a little amusing.

"That it's a '_very, very bad idea'_. I'm going to fiddle with some wires. Coming?"

"I'll come by later. Try not to set anything on fire this time" I say as he walks over to his favourite station. Amongst the various bits of advice our mentor, Haymitch, has given us he did mention that Dany has quite the reputation in the district for being a public nuisance. He likes to 'fiddle' with electrical wires. In other words he has a talent for blowing things up. A talent I'm thankfully yet to witness.

I chew off another piece of liquorice as I flick through my book. I figure half the plants won't even be in the arena so I push it aside. Plants won't help me against tributes. What I really want to do is practice with some of the blades, in particular a pair of shiny metal daggers that seem to have gone unnoticed by everyone else. When Haymitch hasn't been drunk, he's been taking me through a couple of different weapons. The daggers are the only ones I have become accustomed to. If 'accustomed' meant most likely not to stab one's self. But my mentor has expressed we keep a low profile for now. Not that my district partner seems to care. Dany is off 'fiddling' with something in the one of the soundproof booths, content for the time being. The one good thing I can say about the Gamemakers is that at least they're accommodating.

* * *

_A/N _Review and let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Public Nuisance

"Ira. Oh, Ira darling." My mother's soft voice beckons me from my sleep and I wearily roll over to block out the noise. She'll take the movement as a sign I'm getting up and hopefully not press me any further. The blankets are warm so I snuggle deeper into the mattress. I shouldn't have to wake up early. It's the weekend. It's not like I have to be anywhere.

"Ira Manning! Get up this instant!" A shrill voice breaks me out of my haze. That is definitely not my mother. I squint up at the person responsible for the intrusion, only to be blinded by a mass of bright blue fuzz. "You're going to be late for training again. And who might you ask will be held responsible?"

"Effie. Please" I grumble. I really don't want to face everyone today. I just want to lie here in my warm, cosy…

"Me. That's who. Up, up, up Ira" She quickly leaves, rambling something about a 'big, big day'.

Grudgingly I disentangle myself from the sheets. Another day of training. Another day of trying not to step on anyone's toes. God knows, the last thing I need is to make enemies. Thankfully today happens to be our last training session. It's the last time I'll have to pretend I actually know what I'm doing. At least in the Games I'll be able to distance myself from the others. Give Dany a fighting chance as well.

It's after today that we move onto the sponsor side of things. Individual training scores, interviews and the annual Gamemakers ball. The ball, which I had no clue existed, isn't televised. According to Effie is gives us a chance to mingle with our fellow competitors. The idea makes me sick to the stomach. I don't think I can interact with the people who I might have to kill, who are thinking about killing me. Haymitch however, ensures me it's only an excuse for potential sponsors to see us up close. It doesn't make me feel any better.

Quickly as I can, I've showered and dressed for the day. Walking out into the dining room I discover the room virtually empty. Effie and Dany are the only ones at the table. Dany's once again stuffing his face with some sort of coloured cereal while Effie mindlessly complains about another injustice upon her. A tabloid has insulted her wig choice.

There are a lot of empty spaces at the table. It seems our prep teams prefer to eat alone. I wouldn't blame them. They haven't really shown any interest in us since the opening of the Games. Petunia, I think my stylists name was. She had an unhealthy addiction to all things pink. It's a bad thought when your own prep team thinks you have no hope. What would sponsors think?

Ofcourse Haymitch is nowhere to be seen. Probably sleeping off another night of binge drinking. The only time he's even active is in the afternoon.

"Glad to see you're finally out of bed Ira." Effie announces and shifts a bowl of cereal in front of me. "Eat up. Lots of fruit to keep those bones nice and strong!"

I stare down at the coloured cereal in front of me. Never before have I eaten a cereal that hasn't resembled brown slop. I'm cautious of all capitol food.

"Umm Effie. I don't think there's any fruit in this." I point out, ignoring her statement about fruit growing bones.

"Of course it does darling. It says it right here on the box" She shakes the box in front of me. "FRUIT Loops"

Dany sniggers, looking into his bowl to hide a grin. She is from the capitol after all.

* * *

Considering it's our last day of training, I manage to drag a grumpy Dany into the pool. It's the only time I've seen him seriously distressed. Clearly he dislikes water. As soon as he's got down the basics of staying afloat he's straight out, drying himself as if the water burns. Laughing at his antics, I briefly glance up into the training room. I want to be out and dry before the majority of tributes arrive. Funny how I'm going to be dead in a couple of days and yet I still can't shake my terrible body confidence. My face drops when I find myself staring through the window and directly into the eyes of Cato. Whatever brave face I had planned for moments like these disappears. I tense. How long has he been standing there? Why on earth is he staring at me anyway? My mind races though things I've done that might offend him.

'_Shit! Look away. Show him his intimidation techniques don't affect you'_

I find myself focusing on a beetle crawling up the side of the pool.

'_No! Stare him down. He doesn't scare you.'_

My eyes fling back up but the window is empty. He's gone. I breathe out a sigh of relief. I think I dodged a bullet there. Whatever his reason for watching me can't be good.

I swim a few laps before getting out and changing in a hurry. The moment with Cato earlier has left me rather frazzled but I still hope to avoid the next round of tributes coming out.

District seven skips their time so the pair from District eight makes their way out. I haven't seen them train much but they have presence about them. The girl, Pearl is barking something at her partner. Evidently she's the dominant one of the two. Looking at her, she isn't that taller than Glimmer but has at least twice the muscle mass. With the exception of the long brown locks flowing down her back, she reminds me of a young Johanna Mason. Let's hope she doesn't have a fetish for axes. Her partner, Murray, could have enough strength to rival Cato's but he isn't very bright. He chooses to stay by his partner's side. I remind myself to keep an eye on them. Stupid people are dangerous.

Back inside, I take a seat on a long bench seat lining the wall. I rake my fingers through my hair, teasing out a knot. From here I can see the whole training centre. The few tributes scattered throughout the survival stations, all the way to the careers who take up the main weapons area. Cato is in a hushed conversation with Clove. She looks angry. Nothing new there. She stops to give a threatening glare to someone checking out a rack of throwing knives. They hastily readjust their course. I turn away not wanting to be caught watching them. Dany is in his booth again so I decide to try my hand at fire starting. The station is empty.

Well, I think the station is empty when I sit down but I'm startled when a head pops up from the long grass. A small girl, who is so tiny when she leans back over her flint she almost completely disappears. I suppose there is an advantage to being tiny. Perhaps Dany could just hide out in the arena. He could wait until there's only a few left. No, the only way that would work is if he's cuts off his brightly coloured hair. I'm lost in my thoughts when my eyes suddenly catch hers. She looks fearful for a second but as if determining I'm not a threat, her frown turns into a smile. How could someone kill this girl? She's so …small. I hope I don't come across her in the arena. I hope I don't come across anyone really.

A trainer eventually comes over and talks me through using a flint and then striking matches on rocks. I'm surprisingly good at it so it's not long till I've achieved a small flame.

"Very well done." He congratulates me and I sit back on my feet to admire my work. Well that's one more thing I can use to delay death.

I'm about to move on when there's a commotion on the other side of the room. A brief shriek and suddenly a woman comes flying down the stairs towards us. It happens so quick I don't have time to really process the strangeness of the situation. Maybe someone has finally gone mad? Taken a knife to a trainer? I stand up just in time to catch the blast. The sound is muffled but by the way the room shakes as it goes off I can tell it was fairly big. Black smoke begins to pour out from under the one of the booth's doors and the trainers begin rushing over. My heart lurches in my chest when I realise what's happened. They are frantically bashing in numbers but before they can open it, the door slides open with a '_ping_'. In a cloud of smoke, the small boy appears. I breathe out a sign of relief when I see him, still smiling. Public nuisance was a severe understatement.

"Ira! It worked!" Dany cries out in what? Joy? My supposed partner has been hiding some very significant skills from me.

He is covered head to toe in a black powder, the residue lining the dimples of his face. Somehow his hair has been pushed back from the explosion. I think he must seriously know what he's doing but then I look up at the booth and it seems he is just incredibly lucky. The crazy kid has actually gone and blown a hole in the side of the training centre.

"You think Haymitch will be mad?" I vaguely hear him whisper but for the first time I'm speechless.

"I can see trees"

* * *

_A/N:_ Hope there is enough Cato in this chapter (even though he didn't really say anything!). Thx to people who read/review/fav/alert this, means alot and please REVIEW!

Perhaps Cato POV next chapter?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Self-Preservation

* * *

How the hell does one little boy cause so much damage? There is now a significantly sized hole in the training centre's wall. So big in fact, that when the smoke finally clears I find myself staring out into green foliage. I would be impressed if I didn't have very bad feeling. They won't let Dany get away with this. But then again who in the history of the Games has ever done something like this?

The peacekeepers don't seem as impressed as they flood into the room racing back and forth with fire extinguishers. The same can be said about our fellow tributes. The phrase 'if looks could kill' pops into my head as I Iook down the line at them. We've been ordered to sit and remain in our lines until the 'situation is contained'. Dany is behind me looking sheepish but I'm sure if it wasn't for the shadow towering over him he would be extremely proud. Cato sits directly behind him, eyes boaring into the back of his head. The careers don't seem very happy about having their training time cut short. Even if it is just a few minutes. Cato seems particular displeased. I turn back to the disaster.

This afternoon we'll be training individually in front of the Gamemakers, with our scores being announced later tonight. It's not the final chance to gain sponsors but these scores can make or break you, quite literally. I hope after tonight, I'll feel slightly more relaxed. The idea of all those eyes assessing my every move gives me the shivers. Hopefully Haymitch has put in my request for a pair of daggers by now. I figure if I can swing them around a few times perhaps they'll think I know what I'm doing because really I'm a learner at best. All I need is something to spike interest in a sponsor. At this point I'll be happy with just the one.

I hear mumbling behind me and I look around to find Cato whispering down into Dany's ear. Dany goes pale and swallows nervously. It's clear Cato threatening him in some way but I can't understand why he would waste his breath. Does he think Dany is going to blow him up in the arena? Set some sort of trap for him? There's a slim chance the Gamemakers will even consider putting the stuff he needs in the arena. And with it being in the Cornucopia, he'll never see it anyway. Cato must be enjoying himself. Taunting and threatening such innocence. But I know Dany, he'll ignore it now and perhaps dwell on the threats later. That's the problem. He's all bravery up front and tears behind closed doors. I urge myself to say something…anything in his defence but self-preservation kicks in.

'_He's a brute. An egotistical brute intent on killing you and everyone else here. Not a good idea to attract his attention'_

I try to remind myself of this but why is it I feel so compelled to do exactly what my brain is telling me not to? I should be furious at him. I should be finding his weakness, searching for that one thing that will make him falter. But what type of weakness could he possibly have? Cato was built for this in every sense of the word. He's calculating but he's also incredibly fit. All he has to do is so much as reach for a sword and you can see the ripple of his muscles. Deadly and gorgeous. I reason with myself, it doesn't matter if he's attractive. He's going to stop me from doing what I need to do. I need to get Dany though this and I need to show them all that I can be more. But even know I have trouble focusing. Blue eyes. I remember them from the pool, they are just so…His head tilts to the side and the side of his mouth turns up into a smirk. I suddenly realise I'm staring. At Cato. At his eyes. And he's caught me.

"Cato here was just describing how he can strangle someone with his bare hands…the trainers said we were finishing up early" Dany jumps to my rescue. Though I'm not sure he noticed what I was doing. I can feel a blush creep across cheeks as I curse myself with every known swear word in the universe. I'm supposed to be protecting Dany but I've made myself look weak, like a love sick puppy, like… like Glimmer. With my brain in overdrive I can't really stop the next words from flooding out, a mix of anger and embrassment.

"Well some people could really use those extra ten minutes" I notice Cato drops his smirk at my comment. He didn't take to kindly to me insulting his ability. I slam my lips together. I wonder if weak was better than insulting. It's too late to tell now. Before I can open my mouth again our district gets called to leave. I look up to find Haymitch leaning against the wall, with an unrecognisable look on his face. I don't think he's too impressed with Dany's showing of his skills. We walk over to him, my district partner trailing slowly behind.

"You're with me, son. Ira take the other elevator would you sweetheart" Haymitch says, walking off with Dany under his arm. I feel sorry for the kid; no matter what you do you're always going to get on the wrong side of someone. The tributes prey on the weak. But the strong get targeted. I honestly don't know how I'm going to keep that kid alive.

* * *

I'm stepping into the second elevator when I feel someone move in beside, I know who it is before I even turn around. The doors close and the elevator begins to feel a lot smaller than it actually is.

"You know I think I figured it out" Cato finally states, breaking the silence. Whatever he's talking about I decide to ignore him. After what I said earlier I don't want to risk putting another target on my back. Plus I really don't know how to respond to that. He chuckles then as if realising what I'm doing. It's annoying how people can see right through me.

"Okay Cato. What exactly have you figured out?" I snap a little too loudly than intended. He doesn't seem to notice.

"You think you can save him" I tense up immediately. Was I that obvious? I thought I was just showing the normal amount of protection over my younger district partner. I didn't even say anything in his defence. I was distracted from my madness... by him! Obviously I've been mistaken. Of all the tributes to notice it, it had to be the one standing beside me. The one most likely to use it against us.

"I thought you would have gone for something more original" He finally says as the elevator opens at his floor. He walks out, and smiles back at me. The doors close and I'm left standing there, feeling a lot more anxious than I should be.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so I pondered doing a Cato POV but have left it for now. There will have to be one eventually so don't fret. Also I'm aiming for updates on Sun and Wed each week, if not the day after.

So read/review and let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Underappreciated

I missed it. A clean miss, is there ever was such a thing. My dagger slices underneath the dummy's ear, barely scraping the cloth. Just what I need. I thrust my arm forward again this time connecting the blade with what would be the neck region of an opponent. This can't go on for much longer. I can't go on much longer without the possibility of my arms falling off. They burn with every movement even though I slowing down to compensate.

I'm midway through my individual training and I'm sure I've lost the interest of every single Gamemaker in the room. The last of the careers went through about an hour ago and with them the last ounce self-restraint these people had. I don't dare to glance up though, in case I miss again. They were lounging on chairs when I came in, sprawled out, talking loudly and reaching for any food nearby. I haven't looked up since then for fear they'll be shaking their heads at me in disgust. Another miss and I can feel my score dropping. How many was that? Three or four? Haymitch ensured I had my daggers and a couple of dummies but ultimately this was up to me. My blade connects once more, this time sinking into the chest. I spin it in my hand and slam it backwards into a dummy behind me. I raise my hand again but I'm interrupted by a loud cough. Seneca Crane stands towering over me from the balcony above.

"That's enough. Thank you" He says seemingly uninterested and with that I'm dismissed.

Panting heavily, I make way slowly out of the room. Everything is going to hurt tomorrow. If I even manage to get up out of bed. I'm so tired and drained from today's events. Dany blowing up the training centre, Cato being Cato and now I have to wait for my training scores. Part of me wishes we could skip all of this, get dropped in the arena right off the bat but I know I need this time to get my head straight. I just wish it wasn't so exhausting.

Dany is waiting for me by the elevators but he doesn't look as happy as he did this morning. Haymitch had really stuck into him for showing everybody what he could do. Not exactly yelling at him but just highlighting how disappointed he was. I'm not sure which I'd prefer.

"You look terrible" He states, raising his eyebrows at me. Always the little charmer.

"Thanks. How come you're not covered in soot?"

"According to Hunger Games 101, _tributes may be restricted in their choice of weapons if there is substantial risk of injury to themselves or a third party_" He puts on a capitol accent, trying to stand an inch taller as we walk into the elevator. Well it didn't come as a surprise but I still wasn't expecting it.

"That's ridiculous. What did they think? You were going to blow them up" I add sarcastically.

We look at each other for second. Of course they did.

"What did you do then?"

"Tied a few knots, started a fire. You get your daggers?"

"Yep, but I probably should have gone with your approach"

"I think swinging daggers around is more deadly than rope tying"

* * *

Haymitch is snoring on the couch when we come in. Sprawled out with an arm falling over the edge, I fail to see a bottle anywhere so perhaps he isn't actually drunk. He'll delay his binge drinking some days but I feel it's mostly to stop Effie from nagging him rather than our own benefit. The scores won't get announced for another couple of hours so we end just hanging around in the apartment. We snack on whatever source of sugar we can find while Dany teaches me how to shoot spaceships on his game console.

"I don't see how this is possibly going to help us in the arena" I take down some sort of spinning dome with a press of the button. I seem to be getting the hang of it. Dany chuckles beside me.

"It's not supposed to. Ever thought perhaps you spend too much time thinking about the games?"

"We go into the arena the day after next."

"And?" He pauses the game and stares at me puzzled. This ticks me off. How am I supposed to help the boy when he doesn't take anything seriously?

"And… we have to be prepared. You think the careers aren't spending every waking moment planning strategies?" I throw down the controller at my feet, no longer caring whether or not I wake Haymitch. I'm exhausted and I really don't want to be having this conversation now.

"I'm not a career, Ira."

"Dany you have-"

"I'm not going home!" It's the first time I've ever heard him raise his voice and it scares me. I'm taken aback by how quickly he's become angry with me. Despite all the smiles and laughs, I've forgotten that he's not dumb. He knows the odds, the likelihood of his return. Perhaps the reason he doesn't take this seriously is because he believes there no hope for him.

"I know what you're doing" he stands up now, watching me with glossy eyes, "I'm not stupid. And neither are the others. I'll last longer with you but what happens when you die and I don't. How long do you think I'll last then?"

"You don't know what you're capable of" I try to reason with him.

"I know I can't take down another tribute. I know you can. So why are you protecting me?"

It doesn't just scare me now, it hurts. Somewhere along the line I've decided his life is worth more than mine and it's not because he's better than me. I can try and justify it in my head as the reason but I know it's not. I'm not that selfless. I can't even answer him because if I do he'll never look at me the same way. I want to be remembered. Is that so selfish of me? To use this boy as a tool for my own gain? In saving him, I can do something good and be known for it. Be someone worth remembering.

"Just forget it, Dany" I quickly make a dash for my bedroom, hoping he doesn't follow. I slam the door and throw myself onto the bed. I am selfish.

* * *

An hour later Haymitch is still snoring on the couch. The television has buzzed to life since I left and Dany sits eerily still, focused on every word that comes from the box. I join him without acknowledgement. Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith go through there introductory welcomes before crossing to capitol citizens for their favourite tributes. As usual the careers get mentioned the most but I also hear Pearl's and Thresh's names pop up. The noise seems to have startled Haymitch awake and almost immediately he's making his way over to the liquor cabinet. It's not long before the rest of the entourage makes their appearance.

"Hello my lovelies!" Effie calls out as our floor suddenly becomes very crowded. "How did we go? Oh, never mind I'm sure you both did splendid"

A crash at the door turns her attention away from us. Our prep teams have actually turned up today though not in the best of conditions. I take it they had a wild night. Petunia stumbles in on a pair of very high heels. Pink of course. And almost collects Effie as she sits down next to her.

"Really Petunia! I wish you would take this more seriously"

"Girl has got the right idea. Perhaps you should follow her lead, sweetheart" Haymitch smiles at Effie, who turns back to the television grumbling. The betting charts are being displayed. Cato is the favourite by far, followed closely by Clove and Marvel. I sit further down the list, just below the fox faced girl from five. Dany is tied last with the Rue, the young girl I saw at training.

"Take no notice of them" A raspy voice says into my ear and I look up to find Dany's stylist Verinus leaning over the back of the couch.

If I didn't know any better I would say Verinus could have been a victor himself. For a stylist he seems very bulky. He moves away, lighting up another cranberry flavoured cigarette that he never seems to go anywhere without. The dye from them has stained his hands a dark pink and I suspect is the reason he has trouble talking. At least he isn't hung over.

We're sitting for about ten minutes when Caesar begins to announce training scores. A picture of the tribute is displayed with their district number followed by their score. Dany fidgets nervously beside me. He would be a lot more relaxed if they had let him make his damn explosives.

The careers are obviously the first to come up and as usual they are given the highest scores. Cato's score of ten has sky rocketed his favouritism even more. They cross to the betting charts to see the numbers flicking quickly next to his name. He'll love this. The next few vary from low to really low. Foxface gets a score of five and I'm still pondering over it when Dany's name flashes up. And then a score of six.

"Not bad, boy" Haymitch says from the corner but we all know he could have scored a lot higher. I don't get time to acknowledge him because next my name is displayed. It disappears and is replaced with an eight. I let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding. Eight. I'm happy with that. Thank god it wasn't any lower.

"Well done Ira, very respectable" It seems Effie is rather happy too. It's not a great score but the best I could hope for considering.

"Seems someone's a little underappreciated" Again Haymitch pipes up but I turn back, catching the last of the tribute scores.

My previous worries are confirmed when Pearl receives a nine. Murray, an eight like me. Thresh is no surprise when he gets a ten and little Rue, a solid seven. This year's tributes are definitely ranked higher than last years. I can barely keep tabs on the careers, now there are at least five others that pose risks.

* * *

_A/N_: So there wasn't any Cato this chapter but there will be lots and lots next one. This may seem a little rushed because I'm trying to get to the good stuff.

Anon reviews are enabled so read/review!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Pink Ruffles

"No. Whatever you think is right, is wrong." The most helpful advice my mentor has given me to date. And I actually thought I was doing well. Apparently not. It's the morning of the interviews and we're all due to leave in about an hour, if Effie gets her way. My body still aches from yesterday's training so I seriously doubt my ability to leave the room, let alone get off the couch. How on earth am I supposed to keep smiling when I grimace with every step? Wait, am I supposed to smile?

"This interview is all about getting sponsors. The ball afterwards, all about the sponsors. You don't nail this you're as good as dead" Haymitch says to the pair of us before looking me straight in the eyes, "Both of you."

It's hard to comprehend just how much is weighing on getting this interview right. I have to be alluring but not unapproachable. Flirty but not foolish. Friendly but not childish. And so Haymitch's rather absurd list goes on and on. It gets to the point where I'm sure he's just saying anything to keep us calm. Since when did anyone have to be wild yet conformed? The fact that's he's given up the alcohol for the time being is worth more to us than he can imagine. Hopefully he has the mentality to keep it up. Dany is sitting silently beside me, occasionally asking the odd question but he hasn't really said much since our argument the day before.

Today is critical to our part in the games and I don't want to think about yesterday. I can keep my guilt under wraps if I just focus on something else. Thankfully there are a lot of things that need my focus today. The first step is the interview. I'm the most prepared I'm going to be for that but afterwards is the Annual Gamemakers ball. As if we didn't have enough to worry about, we're expected to socialise with each other as if the games weren't the next day. Tonight it will be held at the head Gamemakers house. Mansion would be a better word. President Snow doesn't attend. We are after all just tributes.

* * *

"Well wasn't that something folks!" The audience screams in delight as Seneca Crane makes his way off stage. Caesar Flickerman warms up the crowd and encourages another round of deafening applause. He's dressed head to toe in blue this year, a stark contrast to the rest of the stage but I hardly give it a second thought.

Two hours later, and I'm on the verge of hyperventilating. I'm in a dressing room back stage with my stylist as she fits me with some silver monstrosity. My prep team are long gone, applying the last of my makeup and joining Haymitch and Effie closer to the stage. I try to concentrate on my breathing. Anything other than the loud cheering of the audience but when I take a shuddered breath it gets cut off. Petunia seems intent on cutting off my all of my air supply.

"Oh I wish you would hold still Ira." She says sharply, following it up with a harsh tug of the fabric. I take a quick step backwards to avoid falling over. "Hold still".

"Well it's a little hard when you keep pulling at meeeeee" I almost trip on my heels again.

"You could have worn the pink one I had picked originally. It would have fitted perfect"

"No. I was not wearing that" I remember the horrid bright pink thing with ruffles. Way too many ruffles.

"Then stop complaining. I'm almost done"

I actually wish Effie was here right now. Compared to Petunia's high pitched squeaking Effie's voice sounds like an angel. She told me to relax before she left. I could almost laugh at the thought but of course in doing so I might burst open.

Petunia steps back to admire her work before I'm pushed in front of a full length mirror. Well it's not as bad as I thought. However I suddenly wish I had spent some more time in the sun, my legs look very pale even with a coat of tanning spray. The dress stops about mid-thigh, bordering dangerously on the verge of skimpy. For the most it's a shiny metallic material that catches the light when I move. The material has that aged look with little starches all over it. Two long stripes of black run up the sides to form the tight fitted sleeves at the top. I assume she's taken it in quite a lot from what I had seen earlier but perhaps a little too much. I'm about to ask her to loosen it when she grips my hand and yanks me out of the room, up a flight a stairs.

"Could we please slow…?" My words get stuck in my throat as I'm confronted with a sea of people. There's so many that they just look like one moving mass of colour. I catch a glimpse of Caesar Flickerman before once again I'm dragged through another bunch of people, grouped off the side of the stage. I have no time to worry about my one very loose high heel or the fact that my dress keeps riding up because she stops out of nowhere and I slam into her back.

"Really Ira! Could you remain civilised for one second or is that too much to ask?"

"What did you do? Drag her through a marathon" Haymitch walks up on surprisingly steady legs and places a hand on my shoulder. "Girl looks like she's about to drop dead".

I frown at his comment but he quickly winks down at me, letting me know he was just annoying Petunia. She's launching into a full blown rant when the rest of the team shows up. Dany saunters over, dressed in a plain black suit with a silver tie to match my dress. Obviously we're going for a 'united front'.

"Mine itches" Dany grumbles as he struggles with the collar of his tie. Effie quickly wacks his hand away.

"I can't breathe" I go to continue but bite my tongue as Petunia gives me an angry glance. I don't think I'll ever get used to how finicky these people are.

There's a loud cheer from the crowd as I hear Caesar begin to introduce the first tribute from District one. For the first time I realise that I'm here, not only with my team, but I'm surrounded by other tributes. Trying to act casual (or as casual as a person can be lacking oxygen), I scan the rest of the room. Most of the tributes are spaced out from one another, careful not to edge too close. I'm all too aware of how close District two is to us though. It's unsettling when I make eye contact with Clove who still manages to look deadly in a dress. She shifts her gaze onto the group from eight and behind her I get a glimpse of a very irritated Cato swatting away a picky stylist. He plants his hand firmly against the young man's face pushing him roughly away.

* * *

The next interviews go by very quickly and I hoping my three minutes will go the same. It's easy to see the different angles each of the tributes work. And while I struggle not to laugh at a flimsy Glimmer as she skips towards Caesar the audience eats it up. It makes me doubt everything we talked over with Haymitch. I begin to think about my obvious lack of angle. What in god's green earth made me think I didn't need one? The sides of my dress are starting to feel constricting again as my heart beat is no doubt racing. Dany gives me a small smile which is a little comforting.

I decide to leave the prep teams as they fuss over Dany's hair; I distance myself from their non-stop chatter. Everything is piling up. The games are tomorrow and I'm already exhausted both physically and mentally. The Gamemakers seem intent on making the lead up to games just as stressful as the actual event. Pacing back and forth, I vaguely hear the last of the District five being announced before I run into a wall. Not the usual type of wall.

"Nervous are we?" I find myself looking up into blue eyes and I suddenly wish I had walked into an actual wall. Cato is quite amused at my shocked expression and uses the opportunity tower over me.

"N...No." Stuttering I turn away. I really have to learn how not to be intimidated by these people.

"Could have fooled me"

"I'm not nervous!" I snap at him but all it does is encourage his laughter and prove his point. All Cato seems to do is set me on edge and I'm stupid enough to react to it. "What are you doing here anyway? I think you have some admirers to fight off" There's a large group of VIP capitol women who are glaring angrily in our direction.

"Who says I would fight them off" I can't help but roll my eyes. Ignoring the fact that he didn't answer my question I step back towards the stage. Caesar Flickerman begins to introduce me and my nerves immediately sky rocket to the point where I'm anxiously fiddling with the bottom of my dress. I don't notice Cato move up beside me until I can feel his hot breath on my neck.

"Sure you're not nervous?" he says just enough so I can hear him above the crowd. Normally being in such close proximity to someone like him would be enough to prove his question right but I'm not sure what's more nerve racking. Millions of people judging my every word or one very disturbed tribute?

"I'm not nervous" I reply in a whisper but of course he hears me. Of course my voice quavers, hinting at the lie.

"You should be"

"From District six, Ira Manning!" Caesar's voice booms in the background and my mind goes blank. I feel Cato give me a slight push in the back but my heels don't agree with the sudden movement and without control I'm stumbling out onto the stage.

* * *

_A/N_: Oh no high heel dilemma! I just had to. Next up is the ball scene!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Annual Gamemakers Ball

"It wasn't that bad sweetheart. I've seen a lot worse" He isn't helping at all and I don't hesitate to tell him.

"You're not helping Haymitch!"

"Anyone remember that girl who puked?" Petunia pipes up from behind and it takes all my effort not to strangle her. Well I didn't puke but I'm sure I'll be the butt of every joke in the capitol.

"I wouldn't worry yourself about the rest…at least Caesar caught you" I cringe as Effie adds her own form of assistance.

The interview did go fine, good even. I did everything I could remember Haymitch asking and smiled all the way through. I doubt anyone will remember me for that though. Damn them. Damn that brute of a tribute Cato. This is his entire fault! The second he pushed me out onto the stage, my heel snapped. Snapped and sent me hurdling into Caesar who thankfully had the awareness to catch me. Sure he joked about it, asked to have it as a souvenir and I smiled the whole time. But of course I've been branded as a complete bimbo. Cato was lucky he was gone when the interview finished.

Without another word, Petunia ushers me away from the others. I would be glad but unfortunately the night is just beginning. In another hour I'll be mixing it up with potential sponsors and trying to show them something other than my clumsiness. Were both backstage when she yanks me from my silver cocoon and slips a navy blue material over my head. It's an instant relief from the stiff scratchy fabric of my interview dress. My new dress is backless, clutching in around my waist and then falling to the floor. I'm staring at myself in the mirror.

"Stunning. It might just wipe out every memory of your fall" It's the closer thing I'll get to a compliment from Petunia.

* * *

It takes less than a few minutes for the car to pull up outside a large white building reminiscent of District six's own justice building. And yet only the one person lives here. It seems a waste. There's a huge crowd of people hoarding along the bottom of an outer staircase which I can only assume leads up into the head Game maker's house. A few peacekeepers stand idly by, making sure the crowd stays back but I don't have time to take anything else in because Effie is pulling everyone out of the car, into the commotion. I catch a glimpse of Dany's orange hair as we make our way up the stairs. I wish he was by my side for this, I've barely seen him at all today and I could do with the reassurance.

The noise dies down as were lead into a large entry way and further down another hallway. And another. And another. How big is this house? My feet are just starting to hurt when we get directed into a large room. That's where the similarities to our justice building stop. The first thing I register is the soft music from a band on the far side of the room. A large space has been cleared in the centre as a dance floor. The gamemakers actually expect us to dance. I find the idea ludacris. It's not enough to put us into the arena tommorrow but were supposed to act like its not happening.

I'm watching a few couples spin each other around when Dany tugs me after him. I follow him over to a table marked six, the rest of the district tables lining both sides of the room. Shortly after we sit down, a round of food comes out and I'm thankful for the distraction. Anything to stop Petunia winging. By now I'm somewhat used to the capitol food so the colours don't scare me as much but Dany still stares cautiously at bright blue pasta. I warn him not to eat it.

"Ira with me. Effie I'm sure you can handle Dany." Haymitch breaks an awkward silence that had been building before standing and signalling me to join him. He must have noticed my confused expression because he nods over to the other side of the room. Seneca Crane stands tall by his table, sipping a rather large glass of wine, while someone with purple hair tries to talk to him. He appears uninterested so the person resorts to using large hand gestures. My mentor begins to walk over so I asssume I'm meant to follow.

"Haymitch Abernathy. Now normally your a permanent fixture at our bar" the gamemaker appears happy at the intrusion.

"I'm taking the night off", Haymitch looks longingly over at the bar but turns his attention to me,"This is Ira Manning. Our district six tribute" Seneca's eyes rake over me taking in every detail. I tense, feeling like an animal in a zoo.

"Ira. Lovely to meet you" His eyes are cold. Their all I see as I reach out and shake his hand. I feel my mentor slip away and begin to take note of the situation I'm in. I have the head Gamemaker entirely to myself. There's not a tribute in sight. Not even a mentor. Noone but me and the man that controls essentially my life. I can quarantee it won't stay that way for long. I look up at him and put on my best smile.

"It's lovely to met you too, Seneca. Though I was afraid they wouldn't let me anywhere near you given my clumsiness"

"Never. If anything they shouldn't let you near for your stunning dagger display" I pause, taken aback by his willingness to discuss individual training but he doesn't seem fazed. Perhaps one two many glasses of wine already.

"Thankyou but it definately wasn't perfect. I think you may have missed a few mistakes on my part"

"Were they not strategic misses?" I shiver as his lips slowly turn up into a smile. I have a feeling I wouldn't like man even if he wasn't a gamemaker. There is something not right about him. But he is a gamemaker and whats wrong with a little sucking up.

I smile politely at Seneca's joke, trying to think of something else to say when I feel the slight pressure of a hand on the small of my back. I'm glad that Haymitch has returned. Perhaps he can help in whatever I'm trying to do. Flirt? I'm hopeless at that. I'm hopeless at talking to people in general but mentor has a knack for it.

Perhaps my bad luck has run out for tonight.

"Sorry to interrupt" I spoke too soon, "Seneca I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I took Ira away from you"

"Not at all, Cato. I'll see you again Miss Manning"

"Hopefully outside the arena" I know my smile doesn't reach my eyes as I say this but my focus has drifted elsewhere.

Cato's hand has not moved. His grip is hard into the side of my waist as he steers me away from any chance I had of buttering up the head Gamemaker. He's playing the game already and I'm annoyed that I haven't been. I did just have the head gamemaker entirely to myself. Once again I force a smile until my cheeks are hurting, hopefully masking just how furious I've become. How dare he? I don't understand why is seems content to screw up my game and no one else's. He's not dragging Pearl away from the group of sponsors that crowd around her. In my fury, I haven't had a chance to look exactly where he's taking me until I'm standing in the middle of the dance floor across from him.

"What do you think you're doing?" I hiss at him low enough so only he can hear. He wrenches me closer to him with the hand on my back; the movement forcing me flush against his chest. Where the hell is my menotr when I need him? Anything but this.

"Can't have you chatting up the head Gamemaker now can we?" He grips my right hand putting it on his shoulder before taking the other one in his own. I can see exactly what's he doing and I'm none at all happy about it. Glancing around I relax to see everyone else is too caught up in what they're doing to notice us and that were not the only one's dancing. Or whatever you'll call this. Cato is smirking down at me as he steps to side, pulling me along with him. I try looking for Haymitch but Cato blocks my view of...well everything. I jerk my head to side but he turns the other way. A smirk is plastered across his face. Despite my objections, I know I'm not getting out of this so I decide it will be over quicker if I play along.

"Ah. So your worried about favouritism" I reply, looking as innocent as I can but it only causes him to laugh.

"No. As soon as I get my hands on a sword no one is even going to remember your name" If I wasn't angry before that comment certainly didn't help. How could he possibly know that's the only thing I want to prevent? He doesn't. I have to remind myself that Cato isn't a mind reader as he turns us. Looking over his shoulder, anywhere but him, I find myself facing the district one table and staring straight into the eyes of Glimmer. Angry doesn't even begin to cover the heated look she's giving me.

"I think she might" And he spins us again to see who I'm talking about.

"Glimmer? She thinks if she rubs up against the right tribute they won't kill her"

"And will you kill her?" I wonder if the careers are already sizing each other up. Cato holds his arm up, giving me no choice but to spin under it.

"She doesn't deserve to be here" He says darkly as he regains his hold on my waist, a little tighter than before.

"Damn, there goes my entire strategy"

"I said it wouldn't work with her. I never said it wouldn't with you" His eyes meet mine and my face goes red in an instant. I become aware of just how close I am to Cato. I can feel the heat of his body which does nothing but increase my blush. I know I shouldn't be reacting this way. I know he's just trying to put me off guard but it's hard to remain composed when his face so close to mine. And those eyes. I take a depth breath and look away.

"Your flattery will get you nowhere"

"Your blush says otherwise" His lips are right next to my ear. I shudder and involuntarily lean closer to him but almost as quickly he's stepping away. The music comes to a stop. The couples around us part and begin to applaud the band. I do the same thing not wanting to look out of place. The sudden distance between me and the district two tribute is enough to clear my head. Reattain whatever composure I have left. What am I doing? People start to move off the floor, I can look over Cato for the first time. The trademark metallic suit he wore for the interviews has been replaced with a plain black one, a blue t shirt underneath opening out into a v. No, that will not get a reaction out of me.

"I would wish you good luck tomorrow but you clearly don't need it" I say indifferently, before turning to walk away. At least this time I've managed to get the last word in.

"Good luck then" I pause mid step and almost scream out loud on the spot.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Haymitch ambushes me the moment I sit down at our now empty table. No matter trying to process what just happened it seems I'm going to have to divulge it anyway. But what did happen? I was forced to dance with someone who is going to kill me in the day's to come, maybe even in the bloodbath tomorrow. His reasoning was to keep me away from Seneca Crane but didn't he say favouritism wasn't a worry to him? Then what? I sigh in frustration, resting my head in my hands. I'm supposed to be scared of him. There's a slosh of liquid as Haymitch pushes a glass of brown liquor in front of me. Before I reason with this too much, I quickly grab it and skull what I can. What I wasn't prepared for was the strong burning sensation which forces me to splutter involuntarily.

"Ergh…Haymitch. How do you drink that stuff?" I cough, my hands holding my throat. My mentor slumps down beside me and leans in close so I can smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Practice. So?"

"He didn't want me chatting up the head Gamemaker" I say a bit too fast. Haymitch briefly glimpses back across the floor.

"And you believed that?"

"Yeah why shouldn't I?" I look at him puzzled but he's up on unsteady legs before I can say anything. He laughs back at me.

"Night sweetheart" He walks away shaking his head. What the hell did he mean by that?

* * *

The rest of the night I'm restless to say the least. Everyone else is surprisingly enjoying themselves. Don't they realise we go into the arena tomorrow? We should be sleeping and going over last minutes details with our mentors not laughing and dancing around. Shouldn't we? Not to mention I have a six sense that now tracks Cato's every movement. I guess that could be handy in the arena. So instead of joining the other I wait until I can leave. I don't go and fall over myself to get introduced to possible sponsors. I don't pay much attention as Effie ratters on aimlessly and I certainly don't care when leaves to catch up with the other escorts. I've lost sight of everyone else so I just sit there, occasionally sipping on a glass of lemonade which has long since gone flat. I briefly consider replacing it with whatever Haymitch was drinking but promptly dismiss the thought when I see him collapse across the room. Would it be considered rude if I left? Surely not. I saw Foxface and her partner leave quite early and no one stopped them. But that still leaves the problem of finding my way out. I can feel my eyes drooping closed when my prays are finally answered.

"Hey Ira!" A very excited version of Dany basically leaps into the seat next to me, unsettling the table momentarily.

"Hey Dany. Enjoying yourself?"

"Yeah! Thresh, you know the one from eleven, was giving me some hints on how to wipe out the Tyfons" It takes me a moment to realise he's talking about his space game. "Level thirteen is toast...well it would be but Effie has decided it was 'way past my bedtime'" His Effie impersonation needs work.

"Well I'll head out with you then. Just give me a minute to tell her"

"She won't be happy with you"

Ten minutes later of listening to Effie rave on about some sort of fashion magazine and I've managed to slip away, out into one of the cars with Dany. He tells me some more about his game and the tributes from eleven who he seems to have spent the entire night with. I smile when he brings up Rue for the fourth time. He seems quite taken with her.

_'She has to die. They all have to die if you want to live'_

He doesn't realise this yet or he chooses not to acknowledge. Tomorrow we have to be prepared to kill all of them. He might have to kill little Rue. I might have to. I sink back into the soft car seat and think of the tributes and how I don't want to see them dead. It surprises me when Cato's face is among them.

* * *

_A/N_: I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. Good/bad? I won't be updating till next week as I have family coming down. Plus side... this one was extra long and you have plenty of time to review this chapter. The next one will be the start of the games.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Poor Excuses

_A/N_: There's a little Cato POV this chapter, I really hope he's not too OOC but let me know if he is. And I know this was supposed to be the start of the actual hunger games but this was a necessary filler. It will definitely begin next one. R&R :)

* * *

_**Cato POV**_

"You're an idiot. An absolute idiot" I wish she would just shut up. Just stop talking to give me a minute to think but no; she's really worked herself into a fit this time.

"What the hell are you doing, Cato?" Clove pesters me again, this time standing directly between myself and the television.

"Just shut up" I manage get out but she keeps going. If she wasn't my district partner I would…

"No. You were staring at her all night like some love sick puppy. What if Brutus had seen you?"

"I said shut up" I squeeze my hands into fists, trying not to do something rash. The problem with Clove is that she's just as stubborn as I am and no matter how much I try she won't be intimidated. The feisty girl stares me down, not even twitching at the sound of my voice. "You have no idea what you're talking about Clove"

"Really? What exactly am I missing?"

"She was chatting up a Gamemaker" I state as if it were obvious but it doesn't convince her.

"No, you just couldn't stand the fact that you weren't getting all the attention for once!", she pauses, letting out a breath. "The games are tomorrow Cato. You can't get distracted by some girl"

"I'm not distracted. I've trained for this my entire life."

"Good. Just remember that the next time you feel the urge to turn into a little school girl"

I rest my head in my hands as she finally storms off, slamming her door in frustration. God, she's annoying. Useful but annoying. Despite it, I can't help but feel thankful I wasn't paired with a total idiot. Then again it's going to be hard to kill her in the end. She reminds me so much of Sarah. No. Family is the last thing I need to think about now. I've already lost focus and the games haven't even started.

I know Clove is right. I don't want to think about what Brutus would have done if he had seen me tonight. It's the one time I'm glad he was too busy feeling up Clove's mentor Enobaria. The poor excuse of a district six mentor had caught me staring at his tribute though. He isn't as stupid as everybody makes out. And neither is his tribute.

I lean back down into warmth of the chair, watching the capitol lights reflect onto the ceiling. While I had lost focus tonight it won't happen again. Tomorrow I will slaughter anyone in my path. I will win this thing. Ira Manning is nothing. The way she tries so hard to hide her emotions is laughable. I can see her blush so clearly in my head, her unease at our proximity and despite all this the way she leaned in closer. I shake the thought away. It's all a game and while I enjoyed playing with her tonight, I was simply making sure that no one else will have even the slightest chance to win this thing.

So why then was it so hard to stop looking at her.

* * *

_**Ira POV**_

When we arrive home, it takes less than seconds for my face to find my pillow. I slide in under the covers of my bed, still in my dress and close my eyes. However it's soon clear I won't find much sleep tonight. What did I honestly expect? That the night before the Hunger Games I would be able to have a peaceful sleep? Foolishly, given today, I did. But my dress tightens around me with every movement and the ticking coming from my bedside clock keeps getting louder and louder. I end up ridding myself of the dress and lying back in just my under things. The clock quickly becomes familiar with the ground. I don't bother counting sheep. From previous experiences, they just keep me awake for longer. Sheep are hopeless.

So instead, I lie there thinking of anything that pops into my head. I must be getting sleepy because eventually my thoughts become jumbled, a mix of images flashing back and forth. Not once does an image of family show itself. What replace them are the people who surround me now. I see Effie and Petunia screaming at each other, Verinus sniggering in the background. Haymitch is there, glass of whiskey in hand. And of course Dany is engrossed in his game console, saying something indistinguishable under my escort's screeching. When sleep finally begins to take me I'm haunted by his words. Die. Die. Die.

* * *

The morning of the games I wake up startled. Gasping for air, I shake away the remnants of another nightmare. I can still feel my feet slipping, falling off the platform and hitting hard into solid ground below. It's happened before. There was an arctic tundra arena with harsh winds. They lost two tributes before the gong had even sounded. That's the worst thing. It makes my nightmare a possibility.

My night was restless to say the least. I don't know how many hours I slept for but I'm still tired when I swing my legs out of bed. I rub my hand across my face. Today is the day. No one is going to stop this. There's no white knight to rush in and save me. But something deep down inside me says that I don't want to be saved.

Knowing Effie will be in shortly, I'm about to get up when I knock a small pile of clothes off the edge of the bed. The last clothes I'll ever wear are a plain black top with small sleeves, standard almost every year in the games. My pants are a tan coloured material and fitting snuggly when I pull them on. The sides have a crossed over pattern running to the bottom. Dany will most likely have the same thing on his. It's strange to think I'll never feel the warmth of my own clothes but I'm thankful there will be no itchier capitol garments.

Pulling on a dark grey jacket I walk out into the dining room. I'm surprised to find the others are already up and dressed. Haymitch is talking in hushed tones to Effie but it's clear he's just trying to calm her down. She looks oddly stiff this morning but then again she did have a big night. When I'm spotted she gives me a quick smile causing Haymitch to promptly turn around.

"We leave in fifteen minutes. Make sure you eat something" He says bluntly before facing our escort again. Well at least he's here. They go back to their whispered conversation and I find myself walking over to the couch.

Dany is pale as I sit beside him and with a shaky hand he pushes over a pile of small pills.

"To keep our strength up or something" I gulp them down without thinking. No time to second guess things anymore. I grab a plate of toast and eggs as my hunger takes over and begin stuffing them down my throat.

"Never would have pegged you for a nervous eater?" The couch dips when Haymitch sits beside me, his arm leaning over the back of the chair. "Just make sure you can keep it down, sweetheart"

His comment stops me dead in my tracks and I quickly push the food away. Throwing up would be the last thing I need. A chuckle sounds from next to me. "Slow sips of water. You too, boy"

"I know we've had other things to focus on but do we all understand no one is to go for the cornucopia?" I can't help but feel he's looking at me when he says this. Dany and I both nod our heads. Despite needing supplies I'm not going to leave the little boy beside me. If he sees me running into the bloodbath he'll run straight in after me. I can't afford putting Dany at risk, dying so early in the games. No one ever remembers the bloodbath victims.

"Then get the hell out of there. Stick together or not. Just find water and stay hidden" It's with those words that he makes his way to the door. "Time to go"

We have a brief moment to say goodbye to Effie and despite my dislike for them I get her to pass on my thanks to the prep teams but I have a feeling they'll already be placing bets against us anyway. She simply smiles and wishes us both luck before were forced out the door and into the elevator. While Dany is on the verge of hyperventilating, somehow I remain still. Even when my thoughts pass onto the other tributes nothing happens. However, the feeling does not last as I should have known. The doors open suddenly and that's when I begin to panic. Reality sets in.

The roof is sunny and inviting, almost mocking us. I wonder if the arena will be the same. In the centre of it, a hovercraft floats a small distance off the ground with the last of district five loading into it. We don't say anything as we walk towards it. Haymitch simply places a hand on both of our shoulders before the peace keepers swarm us and then I'm stepping up into the hovercraft.

It's not at all like the roof in there. Cold, dark and my noise scrunches at the smell of human sweat. The straps are harsh against my skin as an attendee buckles me in across from Dany. I sit next to Foxface and by god I hope I don't look like her. Her face is sweaty but focused; she's probably just trying to control the involuntary shakes of her legs. The rest of tributes look the same, at varying stages but leaning forward to see the higher districts I suddenly become very worried.

Cato is staring right at me, a cold expression across his face. He doesn't look at all like he was last night. Of course he doesn't. It's game time for him. I bet he's wondering how long it will take to decapitate me. He's the first one to break the stare, placing his elbows on his knees as he leans forward. When I glance away I make eyes meet with someone who is certainly plotting my death. Clove's expression is a lot worse than Cato's. I can feel her knives entering my body already as her eyes rake up and down. Or would she rather go for my neck? The thought sends a shiver up my spine and she smirks, noticing the slight movement.

I definitely look like Foxface now.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Wolves and the Fox

"Would you stop pacing, you're making me queasy"

Her voice never stops. She never stops. If I have to be stuck in this room any longer with this woman the Hunger Games are going to be down one tribute.

"I'm sorry Petunia. Would you like me to get you a glass of water?" I reply sarcastically. I hope that she'll understand that she's making the situation a lot worse. Ever since I was unloaded off the hovercraft and forced into this launch room I haven't been able to keep her to be quiet. Does this woman have an off switch?

"There is no need for that Ira. I can't do my job if I'm not a hundred per cent focused" She states this as if it was obvious and then begins to inspect her manicure.

I wonder how Dany is doing. He has to be a lot calmer than I am at the moment. He doesn't have some pink, preened capitol woman breathing down his neck. I thought that I was supposed to be keeping calm. Everything Haymitch had said in slowly being wiped from my mind.

"What exactly is your job?"

"I'm here to provide a friendly face" I don't bother holding back a snigger, "Oh, and I'm supposed to give you this" She holds out a tiny black capsule wrapped in string, letting it fall into my open palm. "Not sentimental are we?"

I grab my token out of her hand and quickly fasten it around my neck. The small black marker slipping under my collar. We may not be allowed weapons but there is no rule about the usefulness of a token. I assume the marker may come in handy.

Petunia ultimately becomes uninterested, turning her attention back to her newly pink nails. I turn mine to the glass cylinder sitting before me. Almost immediately I wish my stylist would have kept talking. Anything to distract me from that tiny metal circle. I'm not sure how long we've been down here but I can assume it won't be long until I'm ordered onto it. I want to be anywhere but this room. Then problem is the waiting. I keep thinking about the tiniest of things I've forgotten to do. I never got to ask Haymitch about his games. I never went through what type of weapons my fellow tributes use. And in my confusion I never said a proper goodbye to Dany. I sit down against the cold grey floor, reminding myself that I didn't need to. He'll be fine. I'll find him.

"One minute" A low robotic voice fills the small space and I'm instantly on my feet. The pacing has begun again but this time I'm not entirely sure I can stop. I walk back and forth from wall to wall of the miniscule space. I swear the room is getting smaller.

'_Find Dany. Find Water. Find Shelter. Stay hidden. Dany, water, shelter'_

I'm beginning to chant the words in my head when two hands grasp my shoulders, the nails slightly digging into my skin but I welcome the feeling.

"Take a breath. You'll only work yourself into a state" I don't listen to her. How could she be so cruel, so immune to what's about to happen? I know she isn't to blame but right now she might as well be the person who put here. She is the capitol.

I shrug away from her grip and let out a shuddered breath. The chant starts as it did before.

"Thirty seconds" The voice begins counting down each number and before I realise it Petunia is leading me up onto my launch pad.

The first steps are automatic as I place my feet on the platform and I turn slowly to face her again. She doesn't say anything comforting. The platform shakes slightly as it begins to lift. I quickly readjust my stance. My feet are firmly planted, ready to duck down if by some chance this morning's nightmare becomes a reality. Forgetting my chant, confusion falls over me. It turns into panic and the panic turns into a feeling of dread. What did Haymitch want me to do? Do I find food or shelter first? The platform keeps ascending and without another thought I look up at what was once the ceiling of the launch room.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentleman, let the seventy-fourth Hunger Games begin"

The sudden sunlight blinds me. I quickly try to blink away the spots in my vision as the plate comes to a stop. When my vision clears, the first thing I see is the golden cornucopia, lying directly in front of me, surrounded by a large clearing of grass. I whip my head around.

Behind me is forest, it's the only way I can describe it. A lake lies to my left but behind the cornucopia is more forest. It looks slightly less dense than the stuff behind. I glance up at the countdown timer. Thirty-five seconds left. Weapons are scattered across the clearing but I can't see my daggers anywhere. At least there's no temptation to get them. However I do notice a small leatherback pack sitting a few metres from my plate. Now that is a temptation.

A loud voice echoes through the arena as the final ten seconds count down.

'_Dany, water, shelter'_

I remember the words just in time and I glance up at the other tributes. Foxface is to my left. Murray on my right. Cato stands another five platforms over but my eyes quickly flick away to the little boy next to him. Dany nods in the direction of the forest and I nod back as the voice hits three seconds. Three. I look at the leather bag. Two. I think of Dany. One. What am I doing?

The gong sounds and the silence begins. It only takes few steps till I can reach the bag. I swivel around, taking off in the direction of the forest. I pass Murray, who's slower than the rest but thankfully he pays me no attention, running straight into the bloodbath. I sprint out of the clearing.

The first scream sends a chill down my spine. A girl by the sound of it. I keep running. However taking my first step into denser foliage, I immediately slip over on some type of moss, sending my legs in different directions. My back hits the ground hard. Whatever is in the leather bag digs into my side as I struggle to collect myself. But it's not the fall that scares me. Out of nowhere something warm surrounds my wrist. I pull against it and surprising the hand lets go in an instant.

"Come on Ira! We have to go!" I look up to see Dany standing over me with pleading eyes. One look at that face and I'm reminded of what I have to do.

Launching myself off the ground, I grab his arm and tug him further into the undergrowth. The forest isn't what I was expecting. Looking in, nothing had seemed unusual about it but the more we sprint into its surrounds the more abnormal it becomes. We haven't gone far when it begins to slope upwards. The same moss that I slipped on, lines almost ever surface making the slightest movement a hazard. Dany is constantly losing his footing and I end up half carrying, half dragging him up the hill. It's all I can do not to turn around but the screams are still echoing in my ears. The cannons don't sound which mean the bloodbath isn't over. It won't be long though till the careers can regather. The thought only pushes me on.

"Ira?" I hear Dany whisper but we must keep going. He'll thank me for this later.

"Ira!" This time I stop at the urgency of his voice. I quickly turn around, expecting another tribute. Instead there's only green. Nothing but the slope we've spent the last few minutes climbing. This only infuriates me.

"We have to keep going" I tug back harshly on his collar. How can he not understand that were not safe here? "We can't stop"

"No. Ira, look." Dany points at the forest on our right. My eyes follow the length of his arm and connect with strangest thing I have ever seen in my life.

Thresh barely pauses as he barrels down the hill, hurling himself over a moss ridden log. Not even stopping when his knees connect with the ground and sending him rolling down a short decline. In seconds he's up and running again. The trees snap as he barges through them and out of our sight. Why on earth is he heading back towards the cornucopia? Back towards the careers? The questions just cross my mind when the second strangest thing races back down the hill. This time however, Foxface is smart enough to jump over the log and is in and out of my vision before I can blink. She couldn't take on the careers. Why would she… I never finish the thought.

An eerily long howl resonates down the hill side. Dany gently pulls back on my t-shirt but I keep all of my focus on the hilltop. His begins to pull harder.

"Ira…"

"Go. Go now" The words barely break from my lips as the first wolf leaps onto the top of hillside. It tilts head back in another long howl, baring razor sharp teeth. And with only the thought to distance ourselves from the wolves, I grab Dany and dash back towards the cornucopia.

* * *

Dany is a good metre or two in front of me when we burst into the clearing. He has the brains to keep running despite the image we encounter. It's been mere minutes since we stepped off our platforms and already the cornucopia is surrounded by bodies. I can't make out their faces as we run across the field but I can make out their lifeless forms slumped in their own blood. That's before I notice the careers. Cato, Glimmer, Clove and Marvel stand at the mouth of the cornucopia, tightly gripping their weapons. They seem confused more than anything else as they watch Thresh fly into the cover of the opposite forest. Marvel attempts to go after him but stops when Cato harshly grabs his upper arm. Their heads turn towards us. Our sudden appearance definitely has them confused now and they stop dead. We keep running. If we can just reach the forest we might stand a chance but were not going fast enough. Dany is slowing at a rapid pace and in a few more steps I pass him. The trees are getting closer. We might just make it. I'm already picking my path through the foliage when there's a scream behind me. I stop dead in my tracks, spinning around to the source of the sound. I've let Dany down already. We haven't even been here a day and I've already failed. My thoughts are interrupted though when something crashes into me. I lose my footing and I'm sent flying into the dirt. The impact winds me. I gasp for breath when the same something that knocked me over seizes my upper arm.

"What are you doing! Get up!" Dany screeches in my ear as he tries desperately to lift me up.

If I could I definitely would have let out a sigh of relief. I shake my head in attempt to focus as I get to my feet. Dany begins to run again. I don't follow. No, my eyes are drawn to the tree line that we've just come from. A flash of red catches my eye and just as quickly a tribute breaks free of the forest. Foxface. Somehow Dany and I have out run her but she's small and fast. Foxface springs over another log with ease. She lands on her knees, a metre into the clearing. A mistake is made though as spares a second to glance over her shoulder. It's the briefest of movements but it's enough. Her head begins to turn around again when the first one leaps from the bushes. A wolf latches onto her ankle, biting down into her flesh. She screams and I know it was her before. The wolf has a tight hold on her ankle and despite her efforts she can't break free. It's trying to drag her back into the forest, growling and tugging harshly on its victim. I barely see her half-hearted attempts to scratch at the dog's face when, in a blur of black, the pack of wolves descend upon her. Her screams stop as they horde around her and begin to drag her back into the forest. I know it's over when a cannon finally goes off.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: What lingers beneath

_Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom._

With shaky hands I scribble the number six on my arm and quickly secure my marker back around my neck.

"Do you think they will follow us?" Dany asks, looking back in the direction we came. A howl erupts from somewhere off in the distance.

"I...I don't know. They were a bit busy with…" I can't say her name. Or the name we had given her. I didn't even know her real name and yet what I just saw will haunt me forever.

I didn't stick around after Foxface's cannon, taking off into the forest the moment the wolves were distracted. And if the past hour was anything to go by, they didn't stay distracted for long. The howls are frequent but it's hard to say if they're behind or in front of us. We keep moving. The other tributes are the least of our worries now. Six were killed in the bloodbath including Foxface, which leaves eighteen out there somewhere. I know four of those, the careers, are behind us. I can only assume they had taken refuge on top of the cornucopia. Thresh is also a problem. He had come through this way and there's no reason why he couldn't still be here.

"What's in the pack?" says Dany as he jogs up beside me. I almost laugh when I remember the small leather satchel slung over my shoulder. Where we stop is rather covered but I step behind a large tree to open up the bag. My eyes light up when I look inside. Dany, peering closer, lets out a laugh.

"A knife?" I'm rather puzzled by the find. The Gamemakers usually like you to work for the weapons. However, the knife is small in its sheath so perhaps it wasn't intended as a weapon. I slide it out, none the less, and pass it to Dany. The second I do a cannon goes off and he quickly unsheathes it. One more down. The rest of the pack is standard. A ball of string, a small pack of raisins and a piece of tarp. Unfortunately there's no flint or water.

"Let's keep moving Dan" Despite the burning sensation in our legs we set out again. This time I keep scanning for a water source but as the sky begins to darken my thoughts drift to finding shelter.

* * *

"It's not that high" I lean over the nearest branch and take the knife from Dany's hand. I tuck it securely in my boot.

"Says the person already safe in the tree"

"Grab my hand already"

"Haymitch would want us to find some water" Dany looks up at me nervously. He's clearly not fond of my choice of shelter for the night. It has to be better than sleeping on the ground. I don't want to think about the nasties that might come out at night.

"Yes. Let's go searching for water in the middle of the night. Perhaps we could ask the wolves or the careers where to look"

"No need to be mean" he grumbles and looks at his feet.

"Just get in the tree" My voice rises a little but is immediately silenced by a long lingering howl through the darkness. The wolves seem to be getting closer. Dany is up beside me before I can blink.

Lying back, the length of the day finally hits me and the pull of sleep begins to take over. I shake my head. I have to stay awake for the anthem. Dany doesn't have the same idea. He sleeps soundlessly, his head resting on my shoulder. At night the arena becomes a lot less friendly. The wolves are always a constant in my mind. It's their calls to each other that keep me awake. I wonder if the other tributes can hear them. Are they as worried about them as I am? Thinking of my fellow tributes only increases my worries. The arena is so dark now that I can't see anyone coming. They could be right underneath us. I peer between the foliage to ground below. As expected I can barely make out the trunk of our tree before it descends into the black. Just as I pull my head back, a light erupts from overhead and the booming chords of the capitol anthem begin to play.

Dany shuffles and lifts his head to see the faces of the now dead tributes. I quickly grab my marker. On my arm I write them down as they come: D3 boy, D4 girl, D4 boy, Foxface, D9 girl, D10 boy and lastly D12 boy. As a last minute thought I put a line through each of their names.

The anthem is playing its last strains as the capitol seal appears. I look away in attempt to hide my disgust but I find something much more alarming. In the light of the seal I notice movement under our tree. It's quick but unmistakeable. A black figure hops over to its base, collapsing against it as the arena falls into darkness.

"What is it?" Dany whispers but I shush him. I squint and will my eyes to see further.

"There's someone under the tree" The moment he hears those words I can see the tension cross his face. I sit back in my previous position. "I can't see who it is but he's injured" From his build I can only assume that he's male.

We don't speak after that. Noise is the only thing that will give us away. I do my best not to move but after ten minutes the familiar burning returns to my legs. Dany is unsettled as well and shifts to get a better position. The moment he does his boot inches forward, upturning a small stick. My reaction is to reach for it but that would only cause further noise. It's silent as the stick falls in slow motion from the tree and with a distinct crack it hits the ground. I freeze. I hope to god Dany has done the same. We can't get stuck up here. Whoever it is might be injured but it's the injured ones that have more fight. Out of all the trees, why this one?

Somewhere in the darkness there's another crack, almost identical to our one. Maybe we spooked him. Maybe he might move on.

Another crack. That one sounded further away, off to the right. Surely he couldn't be moving that fast. Dany who is closest to the sound leans over his side of the tree. Crack. My stomach does a flip, leaving me feeling quite uneasy. This time is comes from the left.

Our injured friend isn't alone down there.

With an explosion of noise, the silence is broken. I can vaguely hear the sound of footsteps before there's another crash. Our tree shakes violently as something slams up against it. I grip onto a branch for dear life. A scream pierces through the commotion. It's filled with such agony that I can only assume the careers have him. Another impact hits the tree and this time I'm slammed into Dany. Leaves fall down onto our heads. What are they doing to him? I feel a wave of sympathy for the boy below. No one deserves this.

He's still screaming in pain when I hear the snarls. The snarls which could only belong to the pack of wolves. I gag, hearing the sound of crunching bone. And then suddenly I can't hear anything. The sounds are muffled, distorted. I look over at Dany and mouth my thanks to the little boy who is so much braver than he lets on. His hands are clamped tightly over my ears, blocking out the noise from below. I take his hands from my ears before forcing them on his own. He's the one who has to live through this. It doesn't matter what will haunt me these coming the nights. The noise becomes less and less until only the occasional growl can be heard. I keep listening though, just in case someone is stupid enough to pass through this way.

* * *

_**Cato POV**_

"I think they got one" Marvel chuckles loudly, staring out into the darkness. "We should go check it out"

"And become wolf bait ourselves. Nice idea, idiot" His district partner Glimmer slaps him across the back of head. The two of them have been arguing ever since we left the cornucopia. I wanted to leave them behind but with Clove and I out hunting, there would be nothing to stop them disappearing into the night. With our supplies.

"There might be more out that way" he argues back. This time he looks to Clove for support. I barely hold back a snort.

"Be my guest" she says with a deadly smirk. She would like nothing more to get rid of Marvel but we need him. They continue to argue so I step in.

"Were heading back. We can't leave the supplies unguarded any longer"

"I knew we should have kept the runt alive" Someone finally says as we begin to leave.

I glance back into the forest. The occasional growl erupting from its depths. A cannon fires and something deep inside me hopes it isn't her.

* * *

_A/N_: just quick thanks to everyone who put this on fav/alert/review. It keeps me going. We're finally getting down to the good stuff.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Daylight

_A/N:_ This chapter contains slight language (slight meaning one word). R&R.

Three cannons go off during the night. One fires as the wolves begin drag away what remains of the injured boy. The other two are only minutes apart, sounding a couple of hours from dawn. Slowly the tributes are dwindling away. I look down at my arm.

"You should write everyone down" Dany sits up as he rubs the sleep from his eyes. "So we know whose left"

I pull my marker from my neck and begin to write down those who are still alive. Some of their names I know but for most of them I find myself writing down their district and gender. Two of these people died last night.

"We're going to have to get down now… aren't we?"

"Yep. Time to find that water" I reply and begin the climb back down to the ground.

My feet hit the ground and I immediately notice the effects of last night. The area looks exactly how I imagined it. Scratch marks rip into the soil and into the trunk of the tree. Where there once was grass is now bare dirt. Surprisingly there's no blood. Dany jumps down next to me so I figure it's best to move on. No point in staying here. I don't want a repeat of last night.

An hour later and I'm beginning to understand people's annoyance with younger siblings. They don't seem to pay attention to anything you tell them. I suppose it had to come soon. Dany frustratingly dawdles about two metres behind me. With every step he manages to find a patch of dried up leaves. The loud crunches are basically screaming 'come and get me'.

"Would you quit making so much noise? The point of hiding to not alert everyone to your presence" I spin around suddenly with a hand on my hip. The thirst is finally getting to me and unfortunately for Dany he's the only one I can take my frustration out on. He stares back at me with innocent eyes.

"I was just trying to keep up. You wanted me by your side, right? In case anything happens" He's clever I'll give him that. Grumbling, I turn back to the forest in front of me. It doesn't resemble a forest so much anymore. The thick canopy has since opened out, allowing the sun to fall straight down. The trees have become eerily tall.

"Can you hear that?" Dany pipes up but I have no idea what he's talking about. My ears are met with only the sound of crickets.

"Hear what?"

"That" And suddenly he's gone. I barely catch a glimpse of his orange hair disappearing through the tree before he vanishes completely. What is he thinking? I sprint off in his direction.

The trees begin to close in around me and with a snap a low lying branch scratches across my face. I ignore the sting and push on after my district partner. The foliage becomes thicker and thicker until I'm not sure I'm even following him. I'm about to call his name when out of nowhere the foliage disappears. The ground beneath my feet disappears too. Water. All I can see is water as I lose my balance. I wobble for moment, teetering on the edge before I'm reefed away and onto my back.

"Geez Ira. Are you trying to kill yourself?" Water is replaced with Dany's smiling face above. He almost looks amused. I cough and roll over on my hands and knees. Ignoring him, I crawl over to ledge.

"Cliff" Is all I manage to get out. What lies before me would probably be better described as a crack. A giant crack that splints the arena in half. At the bottom is a strong flowing river, stretching in both directions for miles. A small wall of rock creates a barrier between the river and a deep green valley on the other side. I feel uneasy just looking at it.

"Even better. Water fall" Dany directs my eyes to the left. Between the mass of trees, I barely make out the white water of a waterfall, though the sound is distinct. Jumping up, I quickly realise what it means. Dany seems to realise it before me and once again he takes off with me not long behind.

* * *

"Well I don't think water is a problem anymore" I can't help but smile. We've survived into the second night which is a lot longer than most district six tributes. We've found water and Dany didn't even fight me about sleeping in a tree this time.

"Let's hope there's some food around. I don't like raisins" I punch him in the arm as he spits a raisin out the side of the tree.

It's strange that in a place like this I actually find myself somewhat relaxed. I know I shouldn't. It won't last long. But don't I deserve some peace before the end? The arena is silent. A noticeable absence is the wolves. Maybe the Gamemakers have called them back. They must have met their quota for the games.

"We'll have to find some food tomorrow"

"What's the chance of finding a hamburger tree?" I roll my eyes.

"Probably the same chance as finding a vine that grows French fries"

He smiles but before he can reply the sky lights up again, showing more dead tributes. We must have missed some cannons today because there's a couple more than I expected. On my arm I cross out the D3 girl, D5 boy, D9 boy, D10 girl and the D12 girl. Again I don't know any of their names.

It takes less time tonight to finally fall asleep. Unlike the first night where we both slept, Dany stays awake to keep watch. I drift in and out of consciousness but keep my eyes closed. I want to escape this place for a little while. Tomorrow we'll have to leave and try savage some food. I'm not entirely confident with myself to determine the difference between what is toxic and what's not. Perhaps Dany knows something. A final thought crosses my mind before I fall asleep. I've found Dany. I've found water. We're staying hidden. But what now?

* * *

_Boom! _

Something jolts me from my sleep. There's a sound but in my haze I can't distinguish what it is or where it's coming from. I can feel Dany shaking me. He urges me to wake up but my joints are stiff and my mind is still foggy. I hear the sound again. This time it's clearer. Back towards the cornucopia a girl screams.

"Dany, what's hap…" He slams his hand over my mouth so I know to keep quiet. Regaining movement of my limbs I slowly inch foward and glance back in the direction of the screams. It's early morning but the night's darkness still remains.

"There was screaming" Dany pauses for breath, "Then a cannon"

"Cornucopia?" I ask, wondering if somehow we've been turned around in here. Surely we're not that close to it.

"I think so, it came from that direction. But the screams, they were so loud" All I can do is nod and swallow nervously. They were loud. I thought we were a good distance from the cornucopia and yet we still heard them. My heart hammers against my chest as I try to calm down. Those screams were so full of pain, I shiver at the prospect that I might suffer the same fate. The sound of crickets begins once again.

"You should sleep" I tell Dany whose looking like he might be about to fall out of the tree. The screams have stopped but I'm not entirely comfortable with falling back to sleep.

"But shouldn't we move?"

"Where to? No one is going to attack us. Were on the side of a cliff" Again I find my eyes are drawn in the direction of the girl's scream, "Besides, if it was coming from the cornucopia it will take them ages to get here" I'm hoping were not as close as it seems.

"You think a tribute caused that" This time I stare directly into his wide eyes and shrug my shoulders.

"What else could it be?"

There's uncertainty in my words. He can probably tell. The wolves are gone and the careers are based at the cornucopia. However, the words are mostly for my own benefit. Something is not right. Would a career really allow their victim to make that much noise?

* * *

_**Cato POV**_

When we arrive back at camp, everyone immediately wanders off to their own little area. I take the first watch. Glimmer heads straight into her tent, claiming of exhaustion. I don't know why, all she did corner the girl from ten. I was one who had to do all the work. And as always Marvel is into the food supplies. He doesn't seem to realise I'm watching him and takes an extra packet. He has a stash hidden in his sleeping bag.

"Are you really going to let him do that?" Clove sits down beside me, her knives already out. She flicks one down between her feet in annoyance.

"We've got plenty" I shrug, knowing we'll get it all back at some point. Marvel disappears into his own tent.

"It's not the point. I'm stick of these idiots. You know what Sparkles called me today. Clover. Do I look like a fucking plant to you?"

"There are already twelve gone. We won't need them for much longer" I can sense this calms her. She's not the only one wanting to get rid of them but we can't do it yet.

"Twelve left. I wasn't expecting your girl to last this long" I don't even have to look at her to tell she's smiling. I'm used to her taking digs at me but they're getting more frequent recently. She must think she's onto something. "But of course you wouldn't be paying attention to that"

"Clove" I growl at her as a warning.

"I wonder what she's doing out there. All alone. In the dark."

"Clove, would you…" My words get stuck in my throat when a scream suddenly breaks through the darkness.

An ear piercing shriek comes from inside Glimmer's tent. It's automatic as I launch myself of the ground, sword in hand ready for an attack. Clove is smaller and agile so she's sprinting toward the camp before I can stop her. My first steps forward are met with pain. A white hot burning strikes my neck. I spin my sword around at my attacker but it connects with air. The sudden movement only increases the burning. My hand swipes at my neck when I suddenly feel something move beneath my palm. I try to brush it off to no avail. The pain is clouding my thoughts. It's strange, there's no blood. I shake my head, this time I manage to grab at whatever it is on my neck. There are more screams up ahead. Louder and louder. I recognise Clove's voice.

I vaguely see Marvel taking off into the forest but my partner is nowhere to be seen. A cannon fires, however the sound is disjointed. Hazy as if something is blocking it. When I focus more it seems my vision is doing a similar thing. My steps are becoming unsteady as well. Movement in my fisted hand reminds me of the source of my discomfort. I open it out.

In the light of the fire, there's a slight shimmering. I see its wings glisten as it tries to fly away. I crush it beneath my fingers in disgust. Tracker Jackers.

I know I need to leave but my brain won't allow me to process anything. I'm queasy and there's an ill feeling in my stomach that makes me want to vomit. But I need to leave now. I've seen the effects of the insect's stings before and I can already feel the poison take over. It won't be long now.

The last thing I can do is run. I don't know if the tracker jackers follow but all I can do is place one unsteady foot in front of the other. Keep running but sleep begins to pull at me. I feel the scrape of tree bark against my skin, the crushing of leaves under my feet and finally the coolness of ferns as I collapse into darkness.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Inevitable

_My eyes open onto a grassy clearing. A slight breeze blows a strand of hair across my hair, temporarily blocking my vision. When it falls, the scene changes. For some reason I can't move. My legs are frozen. My arms hanging limp at my sides. What is happening to me? The once beautiful clearing grows dark, almost as black as the night. I hear the wolf's snarls before I see it. It's breathing becomes ragged as it paces back and forth in front of me. The wolf stares at me with emotionless eyes and I wait for the inevitable. But just when I think the wolf will attack amd sink it's teeth in, it pauses. It's gaze is drawn elsewhere. And suddenly there's movement far behind it, emerging from the distant tree line. I recognise the figures immediately. Dany with his flaming hair. Cato standing tall, sword by his side. My heart beat picks up when I realise the wolf's intent. I want to go to them but my legs still won't move. It slowly strides towards them but before it does I find myself looking back into those cold hard eyes._

"_Not long now" It growls in a voice that could only belong to Seneca Crane. That's when my eyes open._

* * *

I awake with a cold sweat. It takes me a minute to remember where I am. In the games, in a tree. My conclusion is no better than the dream I just experienced. My heart is still hammering against my chest. I didn't want them to die. I still don't want them to die. I tell myself it's just a dream and push it from my thoughts. God knows I don't need any more distractions. Especially big tall blonde distractions that are trying to kill me.

How I managed to fall that deep into slumber I have no idea? I pause and immediately curse myself. I was supposed to be on watch. Sighing I lean over to wake Dany, we're going to need to keep moving. If one is thing is clear the Gamemakers don't like tributes doing nothing. And I don't want to think about what they could possibly do to get us moving again.

He looks so young in his sleep, if that was even possible. Dany could be anywhere right now. At home in district six, with his friends, anywhere outside the games. I hate to be the one to bring him back to reality. I end up tugging on his jacket slightly as to not startle him. I should have thought that through more. Within seconds, he's awake. However I'm the one whose startled. His eyes fly open and suddenly he's clutching a knife, waving around like a mad man. He would have more chance of injuring himself than another tribute. The knife swipes through the air at me, barely missing my right ear and I almost jump out of the tree voluntarily.

"Dany!" My voice seems to snap him out of it. His eyes turn to me in shock, then quickly dart away.

"Oh, Ira. I'm sorry" He finally says as his breaths stabilise. A guilty expression crosses his features. That's when I notice it.

"Did you take that knife out of my boot while I was sleeping?"

"No" I look at him with narrowed eyes.

"Oh really? I suppose you just happened to find another one...lying around!" A bird suddenly bursts through the foliage, taking flight. I lower my voice to hiss at him. "You almost took my ear off"

"So if you were a real enemy, I would have done quite well" he says with a proud smile. I shake my head at him and snatch the knife back.

"Get out of the tree" And with a smile he swings down to the ground. Perhaps he's grown accustomed to sleeping in trees.

* * *

"I think that's poisonous" Dany holds up a deep purple berry to the sunlight. He turns it this way and that before inspecting it again. I swear if it wasn't for me this boy would have ate the entire forest by now.

"Are you sure? I think it's called night… night something"

"Well I'm not eating it unless I'm a hundred per cent certain it's not going to kill me" He lets the berry fall into the stream, floating off in the direction of the waterfall.

We continue trailing alongside the stream, heading away from the cliffs. I'm anxious about walking back towards the cornucopia but without crossing over the stream it's the best chance we have at finding food. It's surprising how closed in these games are. Between the cliffs and the cornucopia it couldn't be more than a few hours travel. And then there's the stream to our left that keeps us enclosed even further. The Gamemakers didn't want us heading up the into the mossy slopes. I can only assume that's why the wolves were released. If it's even possible the forest begins to feel that more suffocating. Before leaving the safety of our tree Dany had put up a pretty good argument about trying to reach the think jungle beneath the cliffs. There would be a good water supply, most likely food as well. But even if we did manage to make it down, there would be no way to get back up in a hurry. A shiver runs down my spine as I think of being trapped in that jungle, at night, with whatever nasties that live down there.

Another bird bursts through the tree line and flies over head. A mockingbird I think they were called or it could be its mutation version. Either way, the bird quickly disappears without a sound. A smile graces my lips. How funny that such useless beauty could be found in the games. It's still nice to see though.

My eyes drop down the ground before me, scanning for any think that could be deemed eatable. I'm seriously considering heading back for those berries when a little glimpse of yellow catches my sight. It was small but enough to cause me to pause. On the edge of the stream's pebbled bank grows a small green bush, speckled with tiny yellow flowers. As I bend down, I let out a sigh instantly. It's not food. While I would eat anything at this point, I'm not sure what would happen if you ate this plant. It's a medicinal herb I recognise from the books in the training centre. _Finx's Grass_. It was named after a victor of a previous games. I think it treats toxicity of the blood. I grab a handful and tuck it in my bag. Just in case Dany does eat something he's not supposed to.

I realise for the first time that Dany, surprisingly excited to go foraging today, has wandered a bit too far in front of me. I can just make out the distinct orange outline of his hair through the trees so I decide its best not to call out for him. While I do feel safer in this part of denser forest there's still always a possibility of a tribute lurking around. I begin to jog over to him, ducking under a low hanging branch. I stop however, about a couple of steps away from him, when I notice his stance. Never once in knowing him have I seen him stand so straight. So tense.

I'm about to take a step closer to him when his hand flies up. He motions for me to stop again. Now I'm almost sure I look exactly like him. I want to ask him what's going on. I want to reach out and grab him. I could reach him. Another few steps and I could grab his jacket and reef him behind me. But I don't. My eyes flick over in the direction he's looking but I can't see anything. A few branches block my view and I'm sure their keeping me hidden as well. I'm not comfortable though. Dany is standing out in the open.

"Dany" I whisper low enough so my voice just reaches his ears.

"Hasn't seen you yet" His mouth remains set; that if it wasn't for his slight change in posture I wouldn't be entirely sure he uttered the words. A hear the distinct crunch of boots against leaf litter. I begin shaking.

"Dany please" I beg him to come to me, even reaching out with my hands but he remains still. More footsteps.

"Dany" A tear runs down my face. I don't wipe it away because suddenly I remember the knife hidden in my boot. I can reach it if I'm quick enough. One movement is all it will take. The footsteps stop.

He glances over at me, a fleeting look crosses his face that I don't recognise. And then he runs. I pause as I try to process it but in those few precious seconds I understand. Gasping, I stare at the greenery and barely catch the flash of orange. The orange of Dany's wild hair disappearing through the trees back towards the cornucopia. I step forward, about to scream his name, when a tribute comes into my view. He's fast. Much faster than Dany. I can only watch as he sprints after the little boy and in seconds I'm alone.

Dany has drawn him off, both heading away from me, probably towards his own death. And I didn't stop it. He knew what he was doing. But he did it anyway. The small smart boy from District 6 hiding his true strength all the way till the end.

I take off at a furious pace after them, willing my legs faster with each step. My mind can't process anything other than reaching my district partner. Small hills and valleys begin to emerge in front of me, further blocking my vision. Instead I follow a trail of trampled ferns and stop briefly to unsheathe the knife. The hill I'm on suddenly flattens out. My eyes lock onto movement. The taller, larger tribute holds Dany by the scuff of his collar, his feet dangling in the air. He struggles against the older tribute's grip but he can't break free. Dany screams. I don't think about what I might be doing or the consequences. But as those screams reach my ears I race forward and launch myself onto the assailant's back.

* * *

Blood splatters onto my face as I stab the knife into his neck. The sharp tang of iron spreads across my tongue. There's a sound and it takes me a moment to realise I'm screeching at the top of my lungs. But I quickly fall backwards, still holding onto the tribute as his lifeless body smothers me. A cannon fires.

"Dany?" I cough, pushing the dead tribute off me. When I glance over I realise it's Marvel, spear in hand. "Dan?"

"Hey Ira" His voice is so low I'm fearful it will disappear entirely. Crawling over to him, I'm sure eventually it will. My heart breaks when I see Marvel's damage. A bloody gash across his stomach. The tears are freely flowing now. He's not supposed to die. And for me? I'm supposed to die for him.

"No" I grab onto his shoulders.

"It was always going to happen" His speech is slower now, spluttering. Something inside me understands though, it really was inevitable. I shake my head. I could have stopped this. I still can. My hands fumble with his clothing, trying to put pressure on the wound. He grabs my red hands almost as soon as I reach foward.

"Go get them wonder woman"

* * *

_A/N_: I didn't want to write it but like the title says it was inevitable. Thank you for your lovely reviews xxx. The 'moment' is coming next chapter!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Beginnings 

_A/N_: I apologise for flooding you with 'lonely Ira' at the start of this chapter but bear with this chapter till about half way. She isn't alone for long. Let me know what you think!

* * *

The trees shake and part as a hovercraft rushes over my head. I don't look up or look back as its metal claw descends into the forest. Will they take Marvel or Dany first? I guess it doesn't matter. The audience certainly doesn't care. I try not to. Reason is the only thing I can rely on now. Dany is gone. Really gone as the hovercraft takes off again. I block it out, the tears wouldn't come even if I let them.

'_Ladies and Gentleman, let the 74__th__ Hunger Games begin'_

I was in a dream before. I wasn't taking the Games seriously and this is what I get for it. Did I really think everything would turn out the way I wanted? Dying in honour for my district partner, being remembered because I actually did something worth it? I chuckle at my stupidity. Ofcourse I thought that. It hurts. It hurts so much but I have to push on for him. So instead of reliving Dany's death in every possible way I keep walking. At least the pain in my legs reminds me of where I am.

* * *

Never in my life have I been so cold. There's a chill that gnaws right down to the bone, so much so I can't remember a time when I was warm. My arms shiver uncontrollably as another gust of icy cold wind hits. I whimper.

A few hours ago the weather had turned rough, forcing me to stop for the night. I guess I was lucky enough to find some decent shelter. It's a small ledge of rock, barely jutting out from the side of a hill. There isn't much room underneath so my knees are pushed up against my chest. Not that I mind. The dark green tarp that hangs across the opening flutters violently in another gust of wind. All I can do is pray the Gamemakers turn it off.

It's raining too. A light sprinkle blows sideways onto the tarp and occasionally sprays up onto my face through a tiny peak hole. I don't think anyone would be hunting out there now but considering how safe I felt at the stream I'm not taking any chances. The careers would have extra clothing and no doubt wet weather gear. They would be the ones I have to look out for.

But then why would they bother? Twelve tributes are left. I haven't crossed out the ones from today. Not yet. The weather might kill off some of the struggling ones so maybe the careers are sitting happy. Rugged up and surrounding a warm fire. The thought helps so I continue to imagine the fire. Do I count as someone who is struggling? I guess now I do. I found a tiny patch mulberries on my way over here but they won't last long. Even if I make it through this I'm going to have a serious food shortage come morning.

It's not long before the capitol anthem blares out across the arena. Its sound is somewhat distorted from the weather. Through my tiny peak hole I stare up at the sky and pop a mulberry into my mouth. I know whose faces will be shown tonight. Marvel appears first as I expected. He was my first kill. Then surprisingly, Glimmer's smirking face pops up. Both tributes from district one knocked out in the one day. I'm sure that doesn't happen very often. I know how Marvel died but what happened to Glimmer? I think back through the previous day and instantly have a light bulb moment. There was a cannon in the early hours of this morning. A girl screaming. A commotion at the cornucopia. It had to be her.

I peer out into the rain. Marvel was on his own when he found us this morning. I inch my legs further under the ledge, suddenly uncomfortable. Surely the careers haven't turned on each other already. I can't think of any other explanation as to why they've been broken up. An ambush perhaps? That seems even more unlikely. Who would attack the careers at the cornucopia?

A flicker of light draws my attention back to the sky and Dany face appears. He's smiling like always. Even in the games he managed to smile. I have to look away so I take out my maker and begin crossing out names. The anthem plays its final strains before disappearing, an ominous white moon taking its place. I don't think about it as I draw a line through Dany's name. Nine left.

* * *

I can feel something touching the top of my thigh. It's cold. I grumble and turn away. I quickly begin to realise half of my body is soaked, clearly the tarp isn't doing its job. Trying to find sleep again when you're so obviously uncomfortable is impossible. I reach over ready to tear it down when there's that cold pressure on my leg again. Almost like metal. And what is that god awful beeping sound? My head slams back against the rock wall behind me as I flinch away in shock. Resting gently in my lap is a metal cylinder attached to a parachute. A sponsor gift. I almost laugh out loud.

I have a sponsor. Forget about the fact that I've been freezing for the last couple of hours because I have a sponsor. I almost forget to look inside the canister when the beeping reminds me. The sound stops as I gently twist the lid off. I'm pleasantly surprised when a puff of steam escapes. I actually allow myself to smile now.

The gift isn't something I thought Haymitch would have given me. It's clearly designed as a pick me up. God knows I could use it. Inside sits a decent sized blue screw top mug and beside it, a small bread roll. My stomach grumbles eagerly. How I wish I could stuff it down my throat. But as I unfold the tiny piece of paper that accompanies it, Haymitch seems to know exactly what I'm thinking.

_Pace yourself-H_

I'm not sure if he's talking about the food or the games. It doesn't matter I'm too excited to care. The mug turns out to hold hot tea and within five minutes it's gone. The bread roll doesn't last much longer.

* * *

Morning finally comes and I'm glad not to wake up hungry for once. I'm also glad when I find a ray of sunlight hitting my face through the small hole in the tarp. Pulling it back, it appears the rain has stopped and magically the ground is bone dry. This has Gamemakers written all over it. I uncurl myself and stretch out as much I can. A night of being stuck under this ledge is all I can take. It's best to keep moving anyway.

The idea of careers walking around by themselves is a constant in my mind as I set out. They're easier to see coming when they're in group. Not to mention easier to hear as well. I change my direction, keeping where I think the cliffs are to my right. The trees get taller the further I walk so I think Dany and I may have passed through here on our way to find water. That means the cornucopia should be a couple of hours away. But I've been wrong before.

My boots are lost beneath the thick ferns that begin to stretch out across my path. Every step takes me further into the unknown. I notice there a lot of different plants on this side of the arena and I have no clue what any of them are. I should have saved that bread roll. Not for the first time, I'm considering turning back when abruptly my boot snags on a hidden piece of tree root. My body lurches forward and I hit the ground with a grunt.

"Great" I mumble to myself, pushing away from the ground. My stupidity has probably just been broadcast across all of Panem. I withhold a few chosen curses as I look down at the flattened patch of ferns I've created.

'_If that doesn't say 'TRIBUTE THIS WAY' I don't know what will'_

I kick at the plants in frustration. I've created an entire trail leading straight towards me. Straight towards me. I narrow my eyes.

The trail of crushed ferns lies in front of me. I begin to get worried. It lies in front of me which means I didn't make it. My brain doesn't catch up with my body as I slowly walk forward. Of all things Haymitch words _'Pace yourself'_ cross my mind. My god, do those words take on a new meaning as I step into a small clearing. Haymitch didn't want me to come this way. He was trying to slow me down. It had nothing to do with the food. Because lying directly in front of me is a tribute. The one I didn't want to run into. Cato.

My eyes are immediately scanning my surroundings; careers don't just decide to take a nap in the middle of nowhere, let alone by themselves. Despite the fact that this one is unbelievably cocky, there has to be more.

I briefly remember Clove, the one with the knives and its takes me less than a second to lose my cool. I'm spinning around in every direction, searching for any movement at all. Even briefly scanning the treetops above me. I can't fight knives flying at my face. Not at the pace I've seen her throw them. She has to be here somewhere. Where is she?

A few more minutes of frantic searching and I realise I must look like a lunatic. God knows I feel like one, I just about stepped on him. The panic resides and I slowly lean in closer, still keeping a comfortable distance in case this is some sort of trap.

He's still breathing. I can tell from the subtle swelling of his chest that he's not actually dead which ofcourse is a silly thing to think. Clearly he wouldn't be here if he was. His sword has been tossed haphazardly to the side, well from his reach. But other than that he looks as if he might have just set up camp for the night or possibly even sleeping. A few scratches line his arms but there is no serious injury that I can see.

My every instinct is telling me to run, to get out of here before Clove gets back. But something stops me. I don't think she is coming back. I don't think she was here at all. I take another cautious step forward. He's so pale, his lips blue despite the sunlight. Was he here all night?

I can imagine Haymitch yelling at me. He would want me to finish him off. I have a knife. It would be quick and I could take his supplies. But can I really kill someone so vulnerable? Marvel's death was my attempt at saving Dany. He was the attacker and we were the helpless victims. Cato is helpless.

I need to figure out what's happened. Trying to make the least amount of noise possible, I edge even closer. If anything I should figure out how he ended up here. I'm only a metre from him when at the last moment I decide to remove his sword.

'_Please don't wake up. Please don't wake up'_

I remember the boy who supposedly took his knife in training. The fit of rage that followed. And that was when we couldn't kill each other. If he woke up to me stealing his sword he would… What would he do? I have to remind myself that he was just playing me. All of those smirks and stares were nothing to him. But did they mean something to me?

'_Don't think about it. Not a good time to be thinking those thoughts'_

I pull his sword further away from him. Cato doesn't move as I kneel down beside him so I'm pretty sure he's out cold. I let out a breath.

"What are you doing here?" I whisper to him, knowing he won't respond.

Reaching out slowly I give his chest a gentle push before retracting a bit. I'm expecting him to jump up as if he was faking it the whole time. There's still no movement so I poke him again. I bite my bottom lip, not so much in nervousness but rather to keep a giggle that is threatening to emerge. I defiantly wasn't expecting to be poking Cato in the chest when I woke up this morning.

The audiences will be eating this stuff up so I quickly decide to play it up. I need the sponsors and he doesn't look like he'll be waking up anytime soon. Never assume anything in the games. I'm reaching out to poke him one last time when suddenly his shoulders tense. I yelp, pulling my hand away as if I had just touched fire. The tiny bit of unexpected movement is enough to send me flying away from him and scurrying towards the safety a nearby tree.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Mulberries and Mud

This is ridiculous. This is single-handily the most embarrassing thing I've ever done in my entire life. I toss the rock at his foot.

To say I have lowered my standards is an understatement. Not only am I hiding behind a tree like an idiot but I have now committed myself to throwing rocks at Cato's boots. He hasn't given me any sign that's he's waking up since his last movement but I'm not taking any chances. I don't know whether it's a bad thing or not. I'm won't kill him,not when he's like this. Leaving him now would pretty much be doing the same thing. What is there to stop someone else from stumbling across him? Not everyone would share my kindness.

I turn my head back in the direction I came. No sign of anyone. Just another thing I have to worry about. However, the tribute lying in front of me definitely takes priority.

Slowly I step away from the safety of the tree and reappear, kneeling on his other side. I have his sword now, deciding the one thing a disgruntled Cato doesn't need is a weapon. I didn't realise it before but up close the career doesn't seem as intimidating. Sure he could wake up at any moment but his face is relaxed, almost peaceful. It's strange seeing him this way. Whether or not I like to admit it, it's the first time I think maybe it's not such a bad thing that I've found him.

I'm startled out of my thoughts when my eyes fall upon his neck. Two large inflamed welts, the size of small oranges, line the side of his throat. Tracker jacker stings. It's clear now why I've found him this way. I've never actually experienced a tracker jacker sting but it's pretty commonly known, in the lower districts, what the effect of their venom is. Vivid delusions, extreme pain and eventually a loss of consciousness. That's if you actually survive the attack.

Cato has been lucky. For whatever reason the stings haven't blocked his breathing and they actually look to be healing on their own. If this is what killed Glimmer, he's been unconscious for about two days. I wish I knew how long the effects last for. He could wake up any minute which again leaves me in a rather precarious position. I had already made up my mind. Despite having several safer options I'm not leaving him here defenceless. Especially if there's a chance he might be out of it for a couple more days.

My first task is taking out the stingers. It's a sickening experience because as soon as they are removed the wounds immediately start expelling pus. I look away in an attempt to keep down what little food I have left in my stomach. I remember the _Finx's Grass_ in my pack and take it out along with the tarp. I drape the tarp across his body, hoping it will keep him warm. He really is too pale. I force myself to chew on the grass before placing it on Cato's stings. It's a horrid taste and I have to turn away gagging.

"I hope you thank me for this one day" I say out loud to myself but deep down I'm wondering if he'll be watching this back one day.

Will he even care that someone helped him or just think that I was foolish for even trying? What will he do when he wakes up? I can't be here when that happens. No matter whether Cato was playing with me or not, it doesn't matter. We are in the Hunger Games. And it would be incredibly stupid of me to stick around once he starts to come too. I make the decision right there. I help him and when the tracker jacker venom begins to wear off, he'll be on his own.

I shouldn't even be helping him. I can guarantee my mentor would be shaking his head right now. I'm saving a career. The very person who will most likely be the death of me. The person who I'm supposed to hate.

* * *

It's late at night under the cover of darkness that I finally allow myself to relax. I can focus more clearly, think things through without worrying about my fellow tributes. I'm not completely off guard but the night brings calm over me. There's nothing but the occasional bird call intermixed with the constant sound of insects. Despite this, the ground is cold and damp. The trees in this part of the arena are too tall. The branches start much higher than my grasp. So I resolve to lie back against my pack, eyes constantly watching the darkness.

I spare the occasional glance at Cato to see breathing softly, wrapped up in my tarp. I had tried with little success to drip water into his mouth after fixing his neck. Only occasionally did I see him swallow. It was all I could do. As the sky turned into a dark orange I covered his body in whatever I could find. My tarp, some ferns and I even resulted to smearing some mud across his face. This did bring me a little amusement.

I'm covered in a similar camouflage to Cato, minus the mud. The only problem is these damn ferns. They itch. I can only put up with it so much before I have to reach down and scratch my leg. The consequential noise that follows worries me. It's loud enough to briefly silence the insects surrounding us and no doubt alert anything in our vicinity. I bite my lip as the itch slowly lessens, begging to God, to anyone that this time it stays away. The insects start up again and the peace is gradually restored.

_Crunch!_

My eyes shoot open at the sound and the insects fall silent.

_Crunch! Crunch!_

A stick breaks somewhere over my right shoulder and I tense. It's the unmistakeable sound of footsteps. My mind flashes to the minutes before Dany's death. The sound of Marvel's feet against leaf litter.

I should have known. Night time is just as deadly as the day in the arena. I can tell it's just the one person but there heading steadily towards us. Cato is a couple metres to my left, seemingly well hidden in his coat of vines. But myself, I'm purposely positioned on the edge of the slope to keep an eye out for tributes. Well it hasn't helped.

The instigator of the noise is so close now that to turn my head would undoubtedly announce my presence. Again the person steps on another stick and the sound resonates down my spine. There's nothing I can do but hope whoever it is passes by. I have Cato's sword but it's too heavy to use properly. So instead I wait.

The once peaceful darkness is now both my saviour and enemy. I can't see who approaches me but they have not spotted me either. Perhaps it's Clove. Maybe she really was here and has come back for her district partner.

Their footsteps are incredibly close now, mere metres us. I can just make out the tribute's outline. It's not Clove. He's moving slowly, his head scanning and searching through the undergrowth. His pace sets him away from us but still I don't move. Thresh is smart. Not only is he huge but he's got a brain. It's a deadly combination. What is he looking for?

It's clear by the certainty of his steps that this is his domain. He must have come straight here after the wolves were released. I tremble, the urge to run hitting me as he continues to look back and forth. Thankfully, in a matter of seconds he's gone, walking straight past us. He heads back towards the cliffs.

I allow myself to breathe again but it comes out in pants. I shouldn't be here. I'm too close to the cornucopia. I should be up in my tree using the cliff as protection. Doubting myself, I look over at Cato. He's sleeping soundly, completely unaware of the threat we faced and no doubt will again. I find myself frustrated at him for just lying there, off in his own little world. While I sit here shaking hysterically and wondering what the hell I'm doing.

'_You would be dead if it wasn't for me'_

* * *

The morning brings the inevitable. Sometime during the night I've fallen asleep. I'm not sure for how long but when I wake up the sun is just lighting up the arena. I immediately start cursing myself. Sleep is not a luxury I can afford right now. Not when my camouflage has now become just another obstacle restricting my movement. I rip the ferns away from my body.

When did I drift off last night? Did anyone pass during that time? I'm so annoyed at myself that I miss the obvious. Combing through my bag for the last of the mulberries I try to come up with a plan for the day. There's no way I can move Cato and I doubt the vines will keep him hidden much longer after midday.

I throw a berry into my mouth, hoping an idea will spring into my mind. If I stay here and get spotted we're both dead. It doesn't leave me with many options. I stand up and consider attempting to scale a nearby tree to keep watch, when I realise my mistake. I drop the backpack at my feet in shock. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I quickly step back only to feel the cold steel of a blade press into my neck.

"Sleep well, did we?" He whispers in his usual self-assured way but this time its justified. Cato has the upper hand and he knows it. I have no weapon. He has his sword. And he could easily slit my throat without the slightest concern.

* * *

_A/N_: I'd like to say my later than usual update was caused by an insane crazy life...buttttt it was just computer troubles. Isn't it always? So sorry for that and a massive thankyou to the gorgeous people who read this. :)


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The Worst of Ideas

"_Sleep well did we?" He whispers in his usual self-assured way but this time its justified. Cato has the upper hand and he knows it. I have no weapon. He has his sword. And he could easily slit my throat without the slightest concern._

Cato's breath is hot against the side of my neck as I struggle to get out of his grip. The blade remains pressed into my skin despite my best efforts to free myself. I'm dead. I'm as good as dead. Whatever delusion I was under disappears in a heartbeat. I knew the risks and yet I helped him anyway. If only I had stayed awake. I would have been gone by now, safe on the other side of the arena not in the hands of a career.

"Call your little friend back" Cato whispers again into my ear but I haven't the slightest clue what he means. I become still in his arms.

"What are you talking about?" I choke out between breaths.

"The boy. Your district partner"

It takes me a moment to realise he's talking about Dany. What on earth is wrong with him? Maybe their tracker jacker venom is still messing with his head. My district partner is dead and I'll be joining him soon.

"Cato, please" I beg for him to let go. I glance down at my backpack knowing the knife will be sitting inside it. "Please. It's just me"

And suddenly the blade is gone. I slump forward onto my knees and clumsily scramble away from him. My boots can't find purchase on the slippery ferns, damp with the morning dew. I end up on my back, staring up at Cato. They'll all be laughing at me now. I can practically hear everyone in the capitol begging for my death. My prep team telling everyone that they told them so, Haymitch shaking his head at my stupidity and those from district six not at all being surprised. Perhaps the Gamemakers will already have my cannon on standby.

'_Screw them'_

As quickly as I can I spin around and launch myself towards the backpack. It's already open, the knife's handle sticking out by inches. I don't know what I'll do once I have it. One minute I had been trying to save Cato and now I'm contemplating killing him. I liked him better when he was unconscious.

My fingers grip into the slippery undergrowth and I can finally pull my legs up from under me. I grasp the leather strap of the bag when a force knocks me straight back down into the ground. Thrashing wildly against it, I kick out but immediately get shoved onto my back. I make a noise of frustration when I find Cato lying above me. His body weight prevents me from moving. He holds both my wrists with the one hand thus stopping any attempt to reach for the knife.

"Nice try" He actually has the nerve to smirk down at me. With his other hand he forces the leather strap from my fingertips and throws it away.

"Get off me" I hiss through my teeth but he leans in closer.

"You know whatever this is, both of you don't stand a chance"

Once again I'm completely confused. Cato isn't though. He looks furious and happy with himself all at the same time. I didn't think that was possible. And why does he keep assuming Dany is with me? Dany is dead. They fired his cannon and showed his face in the sky. I stop struggling against Cato's weight when I realise that he doesn't know this. He doesn't know anything from the last couple of days. He's waiting for my response but I'm replaying his words in my head.

"You think this is a trap?" I say incredulously. That throws him. He pulls back slightly, searching my eyes for any indication that I'm lying. In any other situation I would laugh. Who honestly tries to trap a career?

"What are you doing here then?"

"You were unconscious. Tracker jackers. I took out the stingers"

Cato looks at me puzzled for a second before reaching up to touch his neck. He pulls away what was left of the Finx's grass and rubs it between his fingers.

"Why?" he asks. I ignore his question, not fully understanding why I did it in the first place. I couldn't kill a person just lying there but there was a small part of me that was influenced by the fact that that person was Cato. A part of me didn't want to be alone in here anymore.

"I found you here. You've been out of it for a couple of days", I take a deep breath as he slowly stands up, removing the pressure from my body. He leans over and picks up his sword off the ground. It reminds me I'm not in the clear at all. But he hasn't killed me yet. "It's just me"

Cato sways slightly on the spot and with a spare hand reaches up to gingerly touch his temple. I wonder how long he's been awake for because, by the looks of things, he's not entirely back to normal. I watch as he blinks a few times, the hand running through his hair.

'_I guess jumping on a person would do that to you'_

* * *

I don't know what to say to him. I've never been that good with my words but surely anyone in this situation would be having trouble. I briefly consider asking him if he's alright but the answer is directly in front of me. Cato is leaning with his back against a nearby tree, no more than a couple of metres from my place on the ground. His legs are bent at the knees so he can rest his head on them. I briefly consider making a run for it but even in his state he's still a career. He's still Cato. And now he has my backpack.

I'm staring daggers at him as he goes through it. He smiles as he pulls out the knife.

"Really?" he asks as if the idea of attempting to stab him was ridiculous. I roll my eyes and stand up, not wanting to be at a disadvantage. We've been sitting and saying nothing to each other for about ten minutes. I figure he's not going to kill me. He would have done it already, right?

He keeps an eye on me and then copies my movement with less than steady legs.

"How long was I out for?"

"A little over two days… if you were attacked the morning Glimmer died" His eyes widen for a split second. I thought he hated her.

"Who else?"

"Glimmer, Marvel and Dany" I pause shortly before saying his name. Cato takes a step closer until he's towering over me.

"What about Clove?" he says with a little urgency. I understand now. He wasn't worried about Glimmer but rather his own district partner. I understand the feeling completely.

But what about Clove? She's alive but I haven't the slightest clue where she is. Would she be looking for Cato? I fear I already know the answer to that. I glance up at his face. He's worried. I've never seen him like that before and it scares me. In that moment I prove yet again how selfish I truly am. I don't think it through or the consequences that will undoubtedly follow. All I know is that Clove is alive and if he knew that he would do anything to find her. I don't want to be alone out here again.

"She's…" I find myself staring up into those blue eyes. It's strange how much he trusts me. "She's dead, Cato"

* * *

He couldn't know. There is no way he knows I'm lying to him. I try to remind myself of this as Cato spins away from me. His knuckles turning white with the tight grip he has on his sword. It's a very strange type of calm that falls over him. One moment I fear he'll decapitate me in his anger and the next I think he might collapse on the ground.

I slowly lengthen the distance between us. I don't know what he's planning on doing but at the moment it's best to give him some space. I mean, what happens now? Scanning around the area, I have to remind myself that Cato and I aren't the only ones in the arena. This is Thresh's territory and now I have to worry about bumping into Clove. Another round of guilt hits me but I push it away.

"We should get going. This place is too exposed" Cato begins to walk off but stops when he realises I'm not following. Well, I wasn't expecting that.

"I'm sorry?"

"How about a raincheck on the whole killing you thing?" he asks me with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. I do nothing but stare back at him. "Unless you rather I do it now?"

I take one look at his sword before I make up my mind. I'll take a raincheck on my death any day. I quickly hurry after him but I have a moment's hesitation. What am I getting myself into?


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Comfort in the Conceited

Legs. Wrists. Right ankle. Right shoulder. And not to mention an assortment of tiny scratches covering my entire body. My boot snags on a pile of leaf litter, flicking a stick at my shin. Left shin, I add to the list of pains I'm currently experiencing. I gave up an hour a go trying to list the amount of times Cato's head hits a low lying branch. I think I may have said '_fourteen_' out loud because he immediately spun around, looking rather annoyed.

The further we cross the arena, heading in god knows what direction, the more claustrophobic the trees begin to feel. They defiantly put a lot of effort into this year's arena. The giant tribute in front of me is obviously having trouble navigating his way and there is constant mumbling of swears beneath his breath. He still manages to walk at furious pace however.

It's mid-afternoon when I think Cato might finally slow down. I'm about to drop down onto my knees when he merely readjusts his packs. He doesn't stop. Not even for a minute. How on earth can he keep walking? Didn't he just get stung by a bunch of tracker jackers?

"I'm stopping" I declare, no longer caring if he just leaves me here. I am quite capable of looking after myself. My feelings of loneliness have since been replaced with a growing list of pains which take priority. Despite this, I am beyond surprised when he simply ignores me and continues on his path. I stand there and watch as his back gets further and further away. A few choice words pop into my head.

I turn back the way we came and instantly I become very confused. Cornucopia is which way? I should have paid better attention. I slump onto the ground in exhaustion.

"You don't want to stop in here" Cato's voice startles me as he suddenly appears next to me.

"Trust me I do" I begin to say but I'm abruptly reefed up into a standing position, "Ow"

"Trust me, you don't"

"Look, I'm not a career. I haven't trained my entire life for this"

"So you agree I know what I'm doing" His grip tightens into my upper arm as he tugs me along after him. With the small amount of strength I have left, I struggle out of his grasp and fall promptly back on my backside. This causes him to stop and look down at me. Disadvantaged again I think getting to my feet.

"Not what I meant" It seems my sudden anger only manages to make him laugh, "I don't care if you keep going but I am stopping. I have no idea what you're keeping me around for anyways"

"You scored an eight" Apparently that makes me useful.

"And you scored a ten"

"Then why help me?" I flinch, not expecting him to step so quickly towards me. I have to say I'm surprised he didn't force the topic earlier, "I scored a ten. You had the chance to kill me and you didn't"

"You were defenceless" It's first thing that pops into my head.

"Hasn't stopped anyone in the Games before" He invades my personal space yet again. It's a little too much for my liking so I push past him and begin walking again.

"I just lost Dany. I was lonely. I wasn't thinking right. "

"I don't believe you. You tried to knife me" I stop mid step. I did the exact same thing the night of the Gamemakers ball. Cato always manages to get one up on me. "Do you expect me to believe that you were planning on sticking around once I woke up" I feel his chest touch my back as he steps up behind me "Why?"

"Because I wanted to do something worth remembering!" I scream at him suddenly, shocking both him and myself. What shocks me more is that my hands fly up, pushing me squarely in the chest. I wasn't the only one not expecting that because the movement has caught Cato off-guard. I look down to see him on his back, on the ground, with a murderous look in his eyes. "I'm not weak but that's how'll they see me"

I'm wishing for his annoying smirk. Some snarky comment, followed by a laugh. Anything other than the way he's looking at me now. Cato doesn't like being made look weak any more than I do. My heart is pounding in my ears and I struggle to catch my breath. I can't believe I just did that.

Cato's attention turns back to his hands. As he inspects them I see the tell tail redness of blood. His forehead creases in a frown. There's a lot of blood. What did I do to him?

He's not looking at them anymore, rather searching the ground around him. Something must twig in him because within seconds he's on his feet and spinning around in every which way. The blood has soaked into the back of his T-shirt but there is more of it on the ground than on him. He must realise it mere seconds before I do because he glances up at me. I'm too focused on the ground. It's covered in blood. And it's not Cato's. I don't whether this is considered lucky or not because my pushing Cato over has ultimately lead us to finding something that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. An ominous blood trail, winding away into the denser parts of the forest.

* * *

"No" I shake my head at the knife he's holding out to me. My knife. The fact that he still has my backpack, as well as his own, does not escape my notice. Luckily, I'm otherwise distracted.

"Take it"

"No" I repeat again.

"Take it"

"No. I'm not going to hunt down some injured person" Cato shakes his head, "whose probably going to die anyway"

"Right. You would prefer to play nurse instead?"

"Look at all that blood. We don't need to do anything"

"Except finish the job" He says this so calmly Cato immediately turns back into the bloodthirsty career. And he's trying to turn me into one.

"You are talking about a person's life like it doesn't matter"

"I'm trained for this. I don't expect someone like you would understand" I just catch the end of the sentence because Cato has started walking away.

"Someone who has a conscience?" I yell back at him but he's already gone, following the trail over a small rise in the terrain. I realise that he may have really left me this time. The sounds of his footsteps gradually soften until there's only the soft hum of insects.

"Cato?" No reply.

I take a step closer but not enough to see over the hill. I don't want to see who or what is over there. I'm about yell out again, when Cato suddenly emerges between a couple of trees. I try to tell if there's any new blood stains before a cannon fires.

"The district seven girl. Not much left"

"Not much left?" I swallow nervously as he sheathes his sword. I momentarily forget what that sword has done.

"I don't think it was from a tribute", out of all the things he can do he begins to chuckle, "And you wanted to stop here"

The image of Cato covered in blood and laughing at me is especially unnerving. All I want to do is crawl up into a tree and not move for days. But looking at him I doubt he would enjoy the idea. Now I have to deal with a multiple of nasties that are lurking about, waiting to rip me limb from limb. Should Cato be classed as one of those? '_Not much left' _She was still alive with '_not much left_'. I suddenly feel ill on top of everything. Cato starts walking again and I automatically turn to follow him.

"Don't think I've forgotten about earlier" I hear him call out over his shoulder and a bird breaks through the foliage overhead. I have.

* * *

"Do you want to yell any louder? I don't think the others heard you"

"Ahh!" I make some strange movement with my arms to show my annoyance but it only makes him smile more, "You are just so… so smug and stupid and conceited!"

"Careful you'll hurt my feelings"

My outburst leaves me short of breath, panting as I try to calm down. I don't know why I even bothered. He's a career. He's programmed to think that way. I can't remember how we got into this latest argument. I think I may have asked for him to give me my backpack and then there was something about him laughing at me all the time. It has eventually led to my conclusion that he is a psychopathic murderer. He didn't seem very pleased when I told him that.

"There! That is exactly what I'm talking about. Do you ever take anything seriously? My district partner is dead. Your district partner is dead. And you still act like your enjoying this!"

"I'm doing what I have too. I'm not the type of person to just give up" Cato's words are surprisingly hurtful when he was laughing a few minutes ago. His threats are just that, threats. But the way he's looking at me now shows how much those words were aimed to hurt me. I did bring up Clove, his supposedly dead partner.

"I'm not giving up"

"No. You wanted to be 'someone worth remembering' He mocks my words and steps towards me, "And to do that you were willing to die for that little boy. You were willing to patch up someone who would most likely smash your head in the moment they woke up"

I take a step away, trying to desperately to keep some distance between us but he keeps moving with me. I don't want to listen to him anymore. I don't want him to say anything else because I'm sure every single person in the capitol will be watching this.

The worst thing is that I know he's right. I just never thought about it as giving up. I was preparing myself for the inevitable and getting the best out of a bad situation. I could die a honourable death and hopefully never be truly forgotten.

Cato stands directly in front of me, my head could fall an inch and rest against his chest. For some strange reason I want to. He's the killer. He's the jerk that continues to pull me up on everything. Why do I suddenly want to be comforted by him? I realise that this feeling wasn't at all sudden.

"I… I'm not" I can't finish the words.

I hear another flutter of wings from above us. I could lean over those few inches. I have given up and if I'm going die, can't I seek some comfort. I feel some leaves fall down, settling in my hair. What would Cato do if I closed the distance between us? The rational side of my brain slowly begins to take over. I've lost the nerve as the moment passes.

Exhaling a long shuttering breath, I lift my head and wonder why Cato has suddenly gone quiet. I was at least expecting some sort of smartass comment by now. But no, Cato is staring up into the tree tops. My sense of calm disappears. He's not even paying attention to anything I say. The chest I once considered snuggling up against begins to look like a brand new punching bag.

"You are really…"

"Shh" Cato's hand flies up to cover my mouth. I narrow my eyes at him and resist the urge to reef his hand away but the way he keeps staring above us makes me nervous. I remember when I found him. I remember for a split second I was searching the trees for tributes. I frown. Surely not.

The moment I glance up, I regret it. The movement must have been enough to disturb it. To finally give it the last reason it needed to attack. I barely have enough time to react, a scream just makes it past my lips when a mass of black fur descends upon us.

It smashes through the remaining, thinner branches, before landing directly on top of me. My knees give into the sudden weight and still screaming I collapse onto the ground. An inhuman sound comes from the thing as it lands on my chest. I begin to thrash underneath it, desperate to get it off but it recovers quicker than I do. Something strikes me across the face and suddenly all I can feel an immense pain. I splutter at the taste of blood.

The creature cries out, enjoying my agony. It launches at my face once more but never makes it. It screams out again at a slightly higher pitch. I give one final last effort and kick it off my chest but it's not my movement that the creature responds to. An arm wraps around what I think is its neck and reefs it away from me. I can barely focus on the movement as the commotion continues on the ground before me.

Someone is on the ground. The creature on top of them. In my haze I see a sword thrown off to the side. I try to stand. I try to reach it but my body betrays me. I slip on unsteady legs and fall backwards. The pain of my cheek is strong but not enough to mask the sharp jolt I feel as my head slams hard into a tree. A last glimpse of black fur clouds my vision, taking over my entire sight before I am embraced by the darkness.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Moonlight

I'm not fond of crickets. There is something about the way they can jump unpredictably towards you that makes me squirm. They have way too many legs. I think I would like to squish my new friend.

I watch the tiny green cricket jump from the grass onto the palm of my outstretched hand. I stare at it but have to blink a few times to clear the black spots that cloud my vision. My skin isn't its usual pale colour. There are tiny dots of red colouring splattered over my hand. The closer I lean in, the more and more this red colouring seems to spread up my arm.

The insect detects my movement and quickly jumps away into a clump of grass. I smile, glad to be rid of it. Why does it hurt to smile? Running my tongue along the inside of my cheek I feel nothing but the smooth lining of my mouth, the pain must be coming from the outside. My fingertips reach up to probe the injury and come away with more of the red colouring. I stare at my hand.

Blood.

A groan escapes my mouth as I quickly push myself into a sitting position. Blood. Fur. Sword. Cato. The movement sends a rush of nausea to my head. I feel instantly off balance but I have to get up. I don't quite make it. Pain spikes in the back of my head and continues to spread all over my body. I follow it with my hands but find no serious injury other than the gash on my cheek. I cough loudly and the sounds of the forest fall silent. If only that was my cough.

I'm on my knees, with my head teetering inches from the ground when I feel something brush against my ankle. It jolts me awake and I instantly curl up into a ball, awaiting another attack. I think I stay there for a few minutes before I realise it's not coming. When I finally glance at whatever keeps touching me I wish I had kept my eyes closed.

I might describe what lies before me as a monkey. But I fear I would be terribly simplifying the creature. A black thick fur covers its entire body, almost like a shaggy dog but the dog similarities stop when I notice blood spilling from mouth between two razor sharp fangs. It's still alive so I don't dare to get any closer. My gaze drifts across its heaving chest. I never thought I would be so comforted by the image of a knife lodged into something's body. But I couldn't feel more satisfied watching this creature die. Is that what these games do to you?

Another sound further away is one of much more comfort. I hear the same coughing from before and know instantly its Cato. I struggle to get to my feet and manage to make it this time. I spin around in the direction of the noise.

"Took your time" Cato's hoarse words barely make an impression on me. The long gaping tear across one side of his chest takes all of my attention. I can no longer tell the blood from the district seven girl from what is his own because he's completely soaked in the red liquid head to toe. I slump forward onto my knees at his side. My hands move to cover the cut but I hesitate.

I think a stuttered sound must escape my throat because Cato looks directly at me.

"That bad, huh?" His words are even more croaky than before. It breaks me out of my haze.

"There's a lot of blood. How long have you been awake?"

"The whole time. I figured I'd let you have the beauty nap"

My hands gently touch the area surrounding the wound. He winces when I try to move his torn shirt for a better look. I mumble an apology and end up discarding what is left of the fabric. The whole time Cato is watching my face intently.

"We need to move you. And then I can have a closer look"

"Be my guest" With what little energy he has left, his arms move to his sides as if asking for a hug. I have no choice but to pull him into a sitting position. He groans loudly in pain. I can feel the blood start to seep from his wound into my shirt.

"There's a bunch of cave systems out that way" Cato points the way he were originally headed. I suppose he intended us to get to them originally. I realise now just how far we have to travel in order to get to safety. I can't even spot the caves from where we are but the trees could just as easy be blocking them from my view. Either way I have to try this. I just hope we can make it before nightfall. Before we stumble across any more of those monkey things.

"Alright. On three"

* * *

I throw Cato's backpack against the cave's wall in frustration. The sound echoes in my ears while I try to figure out what to do.

"You don't have anything!" I scream, kicking the bag once more for good measure, "Who travels with absolutely nothing?"

"Someone who thinks their coming back" I hear Cato mutter from over my shoulder but I don't want to look at him right now. Not when I know the sight that awaits me.

Moving him into the cave had done exactly what I feared. The blood has stopped somewhat but it's still seeping out from the wound and I don't have anything to stop it. Cato is leant up against the opposite side of the cave, looking paler by the minute as I pace back and forward in front of him. My frustration only grows at his smartass comments.

"You are bleeding and you are still making jokes. You're so ignorant"

"Don't forget conceited" I ignore his latest comment to sit down beside him again. My eyes drift to the outside of the cave. Nightfall has truly set in now but the unusual moonlight hides nothing.

"Your sponsors should have sent you something by now"

"If I even have any left" No sponsors. I snort at the idea. As if a career wouldn't have sponsors.

"Of course you have sponsors"

"You seem to forget I've been on my back twice now. Three times, if you count the time you pushed me over".

The tribute beside me seems awfully relaxed considering everything. I wonder briefly if he too has given up in some small way. It seems unlikely for someone like Cato. It seems unlikely for any career to be in this position. How the games have taken a dramatic turn this year. The favourite must be Clove at this point, if she had recovered from the tracker jackers. Or maybe even Thresh. I look down at my arm. The names of my tributes are slowly fading and covered with tiny specks of blood. Cato, Clove, D7 boy, D7 girl, Murray, Pearl, Thresh and Rue. I pull my marker out and cross out the district seven girl.

"You forgot Clove" I look down to see Cato staring at my arm. He must have realised what I was doing. He doesn't realise there was a reason I 'forgot' Clove.

"Right" I quickly say and drag the marker across her name. If I could feel any worse I would have at that moment.

"How'd your partner die?" He asks.

"Marvel" I don't want to talk about it so he gives up.

I stare out at the forest once again. We've been here for a couple of hours and still nothing. Not even the tiniest of sponsor gifts. Cato won't last long and I realise I'm a lot more affected by Cato's injuries this time. It's different. I had simply found him last time but now I'm the reason he's barely conscious. For some reason he decided to save me. And now it's all the more important that he stays alive.

My head hits back against the cave wall as I close my eyes and let out a deep breath. The thoughts in my head eventually change to what I would do if Cato dies tonight. Wandering aimlessly until I bump into someone seems the most likely outcome. I didn't expect to make it this far anyway. When my eyes slowly reopen to the forest I see the one thing that destroys any previous thoughts. A tiny green light blinks as it sails down between the tree tops. The beeping sound is enough to send me flying out into the darkness.

* * *

The parachute has barely touched the ground before I'm scooping it up. It's slightly heavier than the sponsor gift I had gotten last time so I can only hope it holds what Cato needs. I duck back into the cave to discover Cato is awake and struggling to sit up.

"Who said you didn't have any sponsors?" I ask him. It's almost laughable that he actually believed… My gaze falls onto a small number six stamped onto the top of the parachute. It's my sponsor gift.

"Brutus must have finally gotten out of bed" I rip the parachute off and shove it in my pocket.

The container holds a roll of cotton bandages, a bottle of clear coloured liquid and a smaller tub of gel. There's also a message from Haymitch.

_Watch yourself sweetheart-H_

It crumples easier than the parachute.

"What did it say?" Cato asks when I kneel at his side. I tell him it was just a few instructions. I'm sure if he was healthier he would have picked up on my change of mood.

"I'd say this is some type of disinfectant" My face no doubt mirrors Cato's at that moment. This is not going to be pleasant.

"Do it" He grunts through clenched teeth. Our eyes meet for the briefest of moments before I slowly begin to pour the cool liquid onto his chest.

The anthem plays in the background but I don't dare look away. Cato writhes, groaning as the liquid seeps into the wound. It rolls off his chest before silently dripping onto the cave floor. Under the moonlight the pooled liquid grows darker in colour. I only hope that with that lost blood leaves any chance of an infection.

* * *

_And now for a sneak peak at Chapter 17!_

When Cato wakes up he is going to kill me. He is going to kill me and throw my remains in a swamp. Despite my current madness, I realise that is impossible. There is no swamp around here. And he couldn't possibly kill me because he doesn't even have his sword. Nope, I've left his sword out in that forest somewhere and I've left my knife stuck in a dead monkey. Sick doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: A Truth not so hidden

When Cato wakes up he is going to kill me. He is going to kill me and throw my remains in a swamp. Despite my current madness, I realise that is impossible. There is no swamp around here. And he couldn't possibly kill me because he doesn't even have his sword. Nope, I've left his sword out in that forest somewhere and I've left my knife stuck in a dead monkey. Sick doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling.

Cato is sleeping soundlessly beside me, having passed out shortly after I had begun cleaning his wound. Every now and then I glance over to check his breathing. Even wrapped up in bandages my eyes dwell on his chest a little too long. What am I doing? It's the same question that keeps appearing no matter how much I want to forget it. We are slowly getting towards the end of these games and I'm here staring at a career's six pack. Didn't expect this when I was reaped.

Eight tributes left. Two more dead and the Gamemakers will announce the feast. I wonder what I could possibly need at this point in time. Weapons. I hope Cato is immobile when I tell him I've lost our only source of protection. Or perhaps he need not know. If I were to sneak out now I could be back with them before sunrise. Back before he even realises my mistake in the first place.

'_Watch yourself'_ Haymitch words echo in my head as stand up. I'm careful not to disrupt the sleeping giant. What other choice do I have? If I stay I won't have the advantage of nightfall and if I were to wait for it, we'll be sitting here unprotected for the whole day. Cato can't do anything when he's injured. So it really is up to me.

I decide to leave both of our very empty backpacks in the cave. I only have a ball of string left, the first aid supplies and my tarp which Cato is currently lying on. Not much use taking them. Standing at the opening of our cave I feel naked. I really am going out there with nothing. I have to remind myself that once I get the sword I'll be fine. It's only a ten minute walk.

* * *

Thirty minutes later and I am seriously scared. I'm starting to think coming out at nightfall was my worst idea yet. In previous places of the arena the night has calmed me, levelled out the playing fields so to speak but this place is different. I'm knee deep in some type of bushy undergrowth that squelches with every step I take. The insects are eerily silent and the only sounds are that of a bush rustling here and there, the wind knocking a twig to the ground and occasionally a screech of something I'd rather not picture.

It's almost as if my heart beat is drawing in the noises. I end up stopping for periods as long as ten minutes just to ensure I'm not being followed. As soon as I start walking again the noises pick up. In any other situation I would dismiss my imagination. The noises in my house are merely the walls groaning as it gets colder, not people coming to steal me away at night. The tapping on my window is and always will be, a branch from the old pine tree I used to play under, not the night monsters taunting me. The problem with the games is that your imagination can become true. If you've thought of it chances are a Gamemaker will have thought of it before you.

I think of anything to block out the noises. The old rocking chair on my back porch. A practically loud screech comes from my right. The fort the seniors built that I snuck in after school. Anything and everything to forget my current position. Where is that sword?

Just when I'm considering making a dash back to the cave, the moonlight catches on something a few metres away from me. I know instantly its Cato's sword. The noises are irrelevant now. I step with a bit more confidence knowing protection lays metres from me. I add it to the growing number of things I've done wrong.

I'm just about to step into the clearing when movement catches my attention. Opposite me, I see something black move in the shadows. I freeze in a crouched position. Images of the monkey jumping onto me flood my mind. The wolves pulling Foxface into the bushes. But it's not some sort of creature that emerges from its hiding place. It's the person I've destroyed, killed because it suited my own purposes. And yet in all of the places within the arena she could be, she stands a mere metre from me. I realise now that Clove was never going to stay hidden.

* * *

Panic is the first thing I feel as I watch her circle the clearing. She hasn't spotted the sword yet but she's searching for something. I realise the trampled patch of ferns in enough to signal that a tribute has been there. Is that what's she doing? Hunting?

Without warning she suddenly pitches a knife into a nearby tree, the sudden movement causes me to flinch. A twig cracks beneath my boot. Clove's head whips around at the noise and her eyes rake over the darkness.

'_She can't see me. She can't see me'_

I stare back into those eyes and will them to look away. I can't stay this way forever. God, in a minute my legs are going to buckle underneath me. She continues to search for the source of noise but I can see the moment she dismisses it. Turning back, she wiggles the knife free of the tree and in a huff kicks at the ground. She tightens her pony tail before taking one last look around the clearing. But she notices something she didn't before. I screw my face up as Clove walks over to a large object clumped in the shadows. With a sharp tug she frees my knife from the dead monkey, holds it up to the moonlight and then disappears again.

I collapse onto my backside and my head falls back into the ferns. I lay there staring up at artificial stars.

'_Worst luck ever'_

* * *

When I finally arrive back at the cave, it's safe to say Cato isn't impressed. He's somehow managed to stand up but has only made it a few steps before he's collapsed at the entry to the cave. He's bleeding again too.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" I run forward to lift him off the ground, dropping his sword to the side. "Your absolutely nuts"

"I'm trying to kill myself? I'm nuts?" his voice is absent of any croakiness as I drag him back to the tarp, "Where the hell were you?"

"I was out"

"I realise that. Why were you 'out'? I wake up to an empty cave with all the weapons gone. I thought…" He pauses briefly, "I didn't know what to think"

"I was checking the area" I say cautiously

"And?" Damn he's good. I quickly begin to remove his bandaging to avoid eye contact.

"Nothing to report"

"So no food? Water? Tributes?" I shift uncomfortably when he mentions tributes. I look up at him and shake my head. I'm just made myself look idiotic and useless in the same sentence.

If only Cato knew what I've done for him. I'm sure he wouldn't be too smug if he found out. I'll admit going out into the forest and barely missing Clove was my own doing. I did leave the blades behind. But I've also risked my own life watching him when I could have been up in a tree. I spent half my day covering him in an assortment of leaves, given him my tarp when it meant spending the night almost freezing to death. I stayed by him instead of giving him to Thresh. And now I'm healing him back to health from a monkey attack. A monkey attack!

I mumble a few insults under my breath before leaning in to inspect his wound. I begin to re wrap it.

I'm only doing this because he saved my life. It becomes a mantra in my head but on a few occasions I catch myself out.

'_When are you going to leave him then?'_

"It's a lot better" I grumble.

"You're a very good nurse" He smirks up at me but falters when he looks closer at my face. My hand flies up to brush off whatever it is but he catches my wrist.

"Paying too much attention to your patients?" he says quietly and drops the wrist. His hand reaches up to gently grasp my chin. The touch is soft and gentle. Something I'm not entirely sure Cato was capable off. He turns my head to have a better look and my breath catches. His fingertips brush against my cheek. I flinch, not expecting a slight flare of pain from under them but I remember the scratch. I had completely forgotten about that.

"Why did you do it" I whisper.

"Do what?"

"Pull that monkey thing off me. You could have left me", I correct myself "You should have left me"

Cato shrugs. Perhaps he doesn't know why either. I stare into his those blue eyes but he suddenly glances away. His hand falls away.

"We're square now"

"I'll fix my cheek" I quickly say and pull away from him. What was I honestly expecting?

My heart beat is steadily thumping beneath my chest and I run a hand through my hair. This is a very very bad idea but it's for a reason I hadn't considered or expected. Cato has grown on me whether I like to admit it or not.

I'm thankful when he offers to keep watch for the night though I'm a little hesitant with Clove's presence in the area. I'm so tired that eventually sleep wins out. I stiffly begin to sit down on the opposite side of the cave when Cato calls me over.

"I don't have boy germs" I shake my head and almost laugh as I join him. With one comment he's back to the Cato everyone knows.

* * *

A/N: Ok so let me know if I'm getting these Cato/Ira scenes right. Obviously both of them are going to hesitant of each other but we need a few romancy scenes. Perhaps another Cato POV is in order. Thx to gorgeous people who read/fav/follow and especially review xxx


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Who can tell the biggest lie?

_A/N:_ End of chapter features character death, just a heads up. I don't think it's anything to worry about but you never know. It's mostly implied.

* * *

The cave is surprisingly warm when I begin to wake. My nose reacts to the smell of warm bread and I instantly smile. It's the best way to wake up. Warm and content from a long night's rest. I feel safe in my new found source of comfort so I burrow my head further into the warmth. I almost groan when the warmth begins to move.

"Don't get me wrong I enjoy the snuggling but I need my arm back"

Warm, content, happy feelings. Gone. I quickly shuffle away from Cato, knowing full well I had been snuggling into his side. A large smirk is plastered across his face and I resist the urge to smack it off.

"Hungry?" he asks and holds something out for me. On closer inspection it's half a bread roll smothered in some sort of brown spread. I stare at the piece of food cautiously but find my hunger winning out. Ofcourse I know where it came from.

"Well, if you don't want it?" Cato goes to take a bite but I quickly grab it from his hand.

"I didn't say that"

Chocolate. Never did I think I would ever taste chocolate again. It was one of strange things I thought about on the way to the arena. What happens if I never eat chocolate again? The bread is warm, the spread rich with coco. I make a noise which has Cato laughing.

"Brutus says hello" I almost choke.

"What?"

"My mentor, he says hello" Cato holds up a small piece of plastic with a bold number two stamped on it. I suppose Cato is getting better. What's to stop him from getting his own sponsors now? When I think about it he's actually doing a lot better than I thought he would. I stare his bandaging puzzled. He must pick up on what I'm thinking.

"The miracle of Capitol medicine, right?"

"Sure" I say and look away to finish the rest of the bread.

Save brutal career from potential death. Check. Nurse him back to pre- injury health. Check. Start to worry because now he's holding all the playing cards. Check. I think it might have been best to leave his sword in the forest. _'Were square now'_ Cato had said. Does that mean were back to where we started? I hope that maybe the last few days would have counted for something.

"You should get some rest. I'll keep watch" Hearing my words, Cato hesitates. It's only for a second but I immediately notice. He's been up half the night and most of the day while I caught up on sleep. Why does he look so hesitant to leave me on guard? Unless he… Oh, I hate him.

"You know I'm not completely useless" My sudden change of voice surprises both him and myself, "I have spent the last few days keeping an eye on things while all you do is collapse here and there"

I realise I may have slightly exaggerated the last bit. He can hardly be blamed for passing out on a few occasions. And I hardly believe he chose to get stung by tracker jackers. I'm still mad though, and maybe slightly delusional from this place, but Cato's acting like I've only just been dropped in the arena.

"Just because you're a career doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing. You know you can be really…really…"

"Ira" My rant stops when Cato suddenly says my name. It's the first time he's ever said it and the confusion is enough for me to pause. No, I will not get butterflies over one little word. He leans over and begins talking to me as if I might explode. "I wasn't trying to insult you. I'm sure you'll do a fine job at keeping watch"

And then as if I had said nothing, he leans back against the cave wall, folds his arms under his head and closes his eyes.

"Good. Fine" I simply say and turn back to the cave's opening. That was strange to say the least. Anyone else would have bit my head off for possibly announcing our presence but Cato just rolled over and gone to sleep. I let the argument go as well, even though he never said why he was so hesitant to go to sleep in the first place.

* * *

It's only a couple of hours after Cato has drifted off that it begins to rain. It's gentle at first, only sprinkling but I find myself enjoying the sound of rain dripping onto stone. The rain gives off the illusion that everything is as it should be. Outside the games, rain means everything stops. You go inside and delay important things until it's over. I have to remind myself in the arena people can still hunt in the rain.

I hear Cato snoring softly beside me. Normally that would annoy me to no end but I'm too caught up in how peaceful someone can be in their sleep. How could he be feared by so many others? I answer my own question. Because he's a career with a talent for dismembering tributes with swords. And I've been sleeping in a cave with him.

I go to turn back to the forest, knowing a cave would be extremely desirable to another tribute, when something odd catches my eye. I flick back towards Cato, to his pocket. A small piece of white paper sticks outs no more than an inch but I can see its outline clearly. My hands are suddenly rummaging through my own pockets. Damn, how could I be so careless? But I instantly relax when my hands find them. I pull out two tiny slivers of paper, both are messages from Haymitch.

'_Pace yourself'_ and _'Watch yourself'_. They are the words of the wise. Highly original Haymitch. I suppose it wouldn't be such a bad thing if Cato discovered these. But I'm even more curious as to what his says. He's asleep and it's not like Brutus is going to call and say I've been rummaging through his pockets.

I slowly draw out the little piece of paper and note that I've lied to Cato quite a bit. I lied about my intentions for saving him, I lied about Clove, and he doesn't know how close he came to not having a sword. What's a tiny piece of paper compared to that?

A lot apparently. It makes me doubt myself even more. I doubt Cato even more because he's been lying to me as well. Oh, I hate his mentor.

'_Ditch the girl -B'_

"Well hello to you too, Brutus" I whisper and smile. I know full well Brutus will be watching my every move from now on and I'm sure he always has.

* * *

"But it's raining" I will not beg. I will not beg.

"I'm not scared to get wet"

"What if someone comes here while you're gone? I'll be trapped without a sword"

"You have your knife. Besides someone needs to go and you didn't do such a great job last time"

But I don't have a knife anymore. I didn't go looking for food last time. If only I could say any of that. I ignore Cato's comment about my usefulness because I'm a little preoccupied trying to stop Cato from going out into that forest, running into Clove. If only I could think of something to keep Cato to stay here, with me.

"We don't need food that bad" My stomach chooses that exact moment to growl loudly.

"Whatever you say" He laughs before walking out into the rain. He turns and adds sarcastically, "I'll be back in time for dinner, darling"

Once again I try to kick my backpack into the wall but end up slipping on a wet patch of stone. I slump ungracefully onto the tarp. He is going to go out there, bump into Clove and devise my tortuous death for lying to him.

But did I honestly deserve any better? I imagine if the roles were reversed, Cato lying and keeping Dany from me. I understand there is no way this is going to be pretty. And I've lied to him about so much more. When the Games are good and done, I'll be remembered as a liar who tricked one of the greatest players of the Games. They won't understand that I did it because I wanted to live a little longer. To prove I am stronger than what they thought. In that second, I realise I was never doing this for myself. It was all for them. I was never worried about what they thought but when I was dying I changed myself. I lied. That's not what I wanted.

I make a dash for the opening of the cave and run out into the pouring rain. I don't know what I'll do when I find him. I don't know how he'll react. All I can do is hope to get there before he finds her. Somehow I need to tell him and everyone else, that this person isn't me.

"Cato!" I call out, running through the forest. The rain is heavier now, soaking me to the core but I keep going. I need to find him. I weave through the trees; their leaves brush across my face and soak me even more. I spin around slightly disorientated. Where am I?

"Cato!" I'm not thinking about the noise I'm making when I burst out of the foliage. I lose my footing, my boots slip in the mud of an old riverbed and I end up scrambling around on my knees. I sigh, stop and stare down at hands, palms down in the mud. All this time I've been in the Hunger Games and the whole time I've been trying to be a better person for them.

Covered in mud I slowly stand, as to not trip over again. I'm a mess. My mind is a mess and now I have an appearance to match. I think about going back to the cave. But what is really waiting there for me? A piece of tarp and an almost empty backpack. I don't want to go back there. In the cave, you tend to forget reality.

"Ira!" I hear his voice breach the trees in front of me. He sounds panicked.

'_You did just go running through the forest, screaming like you were on fire'_

"I'm here. Cato, I'm here" I say almost quietly because this is the end. I can't stay with him any longer after this. I'll tell him about Clove. He may be a stone cold killer but he deserves that. But when I tell him I know it will be for the right reasons.

Stepping into the trees, the familiarity of ferns hitting my legs is strangely relaxing. My boots squelch in the mud. Looks like someone certainly had fun in this area. The ferns become cracked, bent over and crushed as if stomped into the ground. I've seen this before.

My eyes lock onto the first thing I see as I enter the clearing. Cato spins around towards me, his sword in hand and looking slightly frazzled. His piercing blue eyes lock onto mine and the guilt hits me all over again. Why did I do this to him?

'Cato, I…"

"What happened?" He quickly steps forward, drops his sword and places his hands on my shoulders, "Are you alright? I heard the screams. Ira?"

I think he keeps talking but to tell the truth his words have no effect on me. Not when I look behind him. Cato's hands slide up to my neck. Normally the touch would have my heart fluttering, hearing my name on his lips creating a thousand butterflies in my stomach but I feel sick. I grip at his hands trying to pull away but they merely fall to my shoulders, holding me in place. He realises what I've seen and tries to block my view.

I want to go home. I want to be anywhere but here. I can't look at Cato, so I stare back at the other person in the clearing. She's behind him. She's been behind the whole time. I gag but for some reason I can't look away. The tiny outline of her body sways in the wind. She's trapped in some type of netting and it holds her body a metre off the ground, spinning slightly in the rain. No one should die like that. I push Cato hard in the chest. He's prepared for it this time and merely steps away. I look between him and the lifeless girl.

"You killed her" I whisper, searching his eyes for any justification for doing this. I don't find it.

"Ira." I don't hear the last of his sentence because I turn and run.

I run away from Cato. I run away knowing I never told him about Clove. He doesn't deserve to know. The only thing I can think of, as I run through the forest, is how similar Dany was to Rue. And how I wish I had been there to save her.

* * *

_A/N_: Well, Is Cato evil enough to kill little Rue? I had planned a more gruesome way to kill her off. I love big death scenes but everyone seems to love Rue too much for it. Also I know Brutus could have told Cato about Clove but for the purposes of this story Brutus doesn't like Cato being friendly with anyone, including his district partner.

Anyways let me know what you think or anything you would like to see happen. R&R. I really appreciate it :)


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Forked Tongues

_**The Control Room**_

"Impossible, Haymitch. There's a reason it hasn't been done before"

"This is your best chance to stop the rioting. Give them something to remember other than that girl's death" The older of two men, unusually sober, is not the pleading sort but realises this is the best chance to get his tribute out of the games alive. Haymitch watches Seneca like a hawk, waiting for him to cave. He knows he will. Especially after what he heard about the lower districts.

"It's not that easy"

"Of course it is. You're the head Gamemaker. These are your Games"

"Snow will…" Seneca turns his back on Haymitch and grips the steel rail of the balcony overlooking the control room. He finds comfort in watching the tiny red dots move throughout the virtual map. The Gamemaker likes to be in control. The arena gives him that.

"Snow won't be impressed when he finds out your games are igniting the rebellion"

"There not even together anymore. Look she's heading straight towards…"

"Which is why this will work" Haymitch cuts him off, his attention also on the flickering red dots. In particular he stares as two glowing markers slowly drift together. One is his tribute.

Seneca sighs and runs a shaky hand through his slicked back hair.

"I'll see what I can do", he says but when he turns around Haymitch's form is already retreating down the hallway. "No promises, Haymitch"

"Sir, were tracking her at 10km/hour" A young female assistant pipes up from tracking post. He almost forgot the reason he was here.

"How long till they intercept?"

"At this pace five minutes" A dark smile spreads across Seneca's face. How could he have forgotten this? This is why he became a Gamemaker.

* * *

_**Ira POV**_

The intense burning forces me to stop. It rips at my legs, my lungs until I have no choice but to collapse against the trunk of a tree. Upon stopping, I realise I have absolutely no clue where I am. I've been so lost in my thoughts I haven't been keeping track of my direction. Once again I'm lost and it's entirely my fault. I cough violently, trying to suck in as much air as I can but there's little relief. I sink further to the ground.

No matter how much I try or wish to, I can't stop the flashes. They come quickly as if they know I no longer have the strength to stop them. I see Dany's tiny legs kicking in the air as Marvel holds him up, Thresh stalking through the undergrowth, Cato covered head to toe in blood, black fur, Clove's dark eyes and finally Rue's lifeless body hanging from a tree.

Could Cato have really killed that little girl? I already know that answer. He was made for these games. I begin shaking back and forth because I know this was all my doing. If only I had left Cato alone. Thresh would have killed him and in turn saved his own district partner from her terrible fate. And I thought being remembered as a liar was bad. I'm the monster that nursed a killer back to health. Twice.

"Ira" I flinch at the sound of my name echoing through the rain. It's faint but I can still make out his voice. I thought made it clear when I ran off. Our alliance or whatever it was is done. I'm done.

"Ira" God damn it, why won't he give up already? How can he not understand? Only one person can win this thing. I'm getting out before he turns on me like he did Rue.

Gaining as much of a bearing I can get, I work out I must be heading back towards the ledge I slept under a couple of nights ago. It also means I'm heading back towards the cornucopia but this time I want to. One more tribute needs to die before the feast is announced and I have absolutely nothing. Nothing. I feel naked walking around with just the clothes on my back. It would be safe to say, I would be an easy target.

I carefully make my way through the denser jungle, wishing I could just deviate to the open areas I know lie on the other side of the arena. I wish this stupid rain would stop so I can see where hell I am going and I wish Cato would stop following me. Unfortunately, I have no such luck. The rain continues to pelt down onto my shoulders, I have to fight with overhanging tree branches that are constantly grabbing at my straggly hair and all the while Cato is broadcasting my name across the entire area. The only thing that brings me peace is that I'm slowly gaining some distance on him. His voice isn't as loud as it once was.

A particularly low branch of leaves, that I unsuccessfully try to duck under, snags a knot in my hair and reefs my head back without warning. Tributes, wolves, monkeys and now trees. I'm getting attacked by trees! My frustration reaches new peaks as I desperately try to free myself. _Girl defeated by tree_. I can see it now.

"This is absolutely ridiculous! Never told us about the god damn trees, did you Haymitch?" I scream out into the forest but my outburst is only met with more rain. This place is making me lose my mind.

The emotions of the past few days are finally getting to me. They didn't warn us about this. I almost scream out loud when I free myself, choosing to just snap off the twig instead. I continue walking the way I intended, constantly mumbling under my breath.

"If I get out of here…" I pull up short at the sound of Cato's voice. He's close. My little incident with the tree has slowed me down. And in that moment I do the worse thing a person stuck in the arena can do. I groan and scream back the most childish thing I can.

"Leave me alone Cato!" I'm sure if I could hear anything over the rain, the arena would have fallen silent. But it doesn't.

My ears pick up on the sound of the movement to my left. A few precise cracks of boots snapping sticks, a small rustle of leaves and I know he's found me. Despite screaming out at him, I was hoping to avoid this. Will he even hesitate?

"We can't…" I sigh, turning to the direction of the noise when something hits my feet. It's rough and has somehow managed to wrap itself around my ankles. What on earth? I glance down just in time to recognise the rope netting before my legs are violently reefed out from under me.

The mud certainly doesn't help the situation as my feet are torn away from me. My back slams into the ground seconds before my head. I barely have enough time to process I'm being attacked before a second net lands over my face. This time I was prepared for it but it doesn't help. In my confusion, the only thing I can think of is finding a way to get this thing off me. I latch on the rope, tugging at it to get free but my right arm slips through one of its many holes.

I'm not sure when I began shrieking but once I start I can't stop. The rope surrounds my arm and with my other one I stretch behind me, searching for anything to pull me up. I grasp a piece of vine and drag myself towards it. My legs kick out and scrap against the ground but the netting only gets tighter. That's when I feel the pressure hit my chest.

"Hello there" A strong male voice says, looking down at me. His dark brown hair flops over his eyes. I feel his weight push me further into the ground. I struggle to breath, the pressure on my chest too much but as I squirm his elbow suddenly hits the side of my cheek. Still tender from the previous cut, I moan as the pain takes over.

"If you hold still, this will go a lot faster" The boy from District seven smiling, reaches behind him and pulls something from his back pocket. I shudder as cold steel slices slightly into my neck. This is where I'm going to die. In the rain, alone, by someone I never would have suspected. The same person who killed Rue and who probably enjoyed it as much as he is now. I think the arena is designed to make us lose our minds. Because who would truly enjoy this.

Even with Cato, when he returned from the district seven girl, covered in her blood, there was no true excitement or thrill. Not what I'm seeing in this boy's eyes. This is the second time I've had a blade pressed into my neck. The first time Cato had let me go. I can't believe I actually thought he could have killed Rue. I thought he was going to kill me. He had all the chances in the world and he still didn't. If anything he saved me.

"Cato!"

The boy on top of me pulls back in shock as I scream out for Cato, his eyes widen. I can see he's confused. He doesn't know whether to look into the forest or finish the job. The second he takes to decide if I'm bluffing is all the time I need. It's all the time Cato needs.

I gasp as Cato suddenly slams into the boy, knocking him away to the ground. The unexpected assault stuns the boy and he lets go off the knife. I scramble away on my back as the two struggle for control. It's from a slight distance that I realise the boy isn't as small as I thought. He's actually putting up a good fight against Cato. I didn't think that was possible. One of Cato's spare hands surrounds his neck while the boy launches a fist into the side of his face. Too busy in trying to break the boy's neck, Cato is caught off guard momentarily. The two roll over, switching places. It's now I realise this might not go the way I expected. How could someone possibly beat Cato?

It takes less than a second to reach the knife, less than a second to gain my footing. It's Marvel all over again. Something comes over me that I can't stop. Cato catches my eyes and grips the boy's shoulders pushing him up momentarily. With all the force I have I slam the knife down into his back. Blood coats my face. I pull the blade out and slam it down again. The boy makes a sound and slumps forward but I don't stop. The knife creates more blood, more destruction. I don't want to see those eyes again. I raise the knife once more when I'm quickly pulled away. Strong arms surround my waist, encircling and lifting me into the air. The knife falls to the ground and with it, everything that's built up over the last couple of days.

When my feet hit the ground, I'm somewhere new. There's no mud, no ferns and no blood.

Cato sits me down gently on something soft and as I relax the tears race down my face. Their warm but nothing like the blood that still sticks to me. I begin to desperately swipe at it. It's everywhere. It's on my face, in my hair, smeared across the front of my shirt. I need to get it off. Cato grabs my wrists as I get panicked; he stops my movement and holds me still. I glance up at him. He's covered in blood as well.

"At least the rain has stopped" He says, no doubt trying to lighten the mood. He must now what I thought and yet he chased after me.

I nod and lean into his chest. It's there I begin to sob quietly. I burrow my head into his bloody, ripped shirt and think of the people I've lost and those I took from others. I'm grateful when his arms wrap around me.

* * *

_**The Control Room**_

"Get the President on the phone" Seneca barked over his shoulder but his eyes remained set on the screen. He realises now that this might just work. He expected the brute to just leave the girl. It would be the smart thing to do but for some reason he saved her. This he could work with.

"Finally turned off the rain I see" He doesn't turn around at Haymitch's voice.

"Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on your tribute, Haymitch?"

"She seems pretty safe to me" Seneca turns back to see the old man smiling. He lets out a sigh. It's now or never.

"I'll announce it in the morning. You better hope this works"

"A district six and a career? The audience will love it" Haymitch knows he's done his job but there's only one problem left.

"He's going to find out his partner is alive"

"She's hunting down the boy from eleven. She's not going to come out alive against him. When she dies, Cato will only want to win with one other person" He says, pointing to the screen. His tribute is alseep in the arms of someone he still sees as a monster. Unfortunately the monster is also her best chance.

"The girl who lied to him? Even if his district partner dies she's the one who kept him from her" Seneca scoffs, "Were taking a hell of a risk"

"It's this or the rebellion, my friend" The two lock eyes on the one subject everyone in the room is avoiding. A smaller screen in another console shows the riots in eleven.

"I'll talk to Snow. I can delay the feast for a day,no more. If he agrees, I'll announce two winners. You better hope Cato values your girl over his own district partner"

"I think you'll be pleasantly surprised" Haymitch slowly walks from the room, his weight placed on an old walking stick. He smiles. Who said he wasn't a good mentor?


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The End of All Things

Pearl. Murray. Cato. Clove. Thresh. No matter how you look at it my chances are slim.

I'm on watch. I should be paying attention. My eyes should be locked on the forest for any sign of movement. Tributes will be moving back to the cornucopia for the feast. Despite knowing this, it's a little hard to concentrate on anything other than the arm resting on my waist. I should move it but I don't want to wake him up. Yes, I'll stick to that excuse. It's better to ignore the niggling feeling in my stomach.

Cato is asleep when the anthem begins. The light blinds me before the face of Rue and the district seven boy appear. I cross them off my arm. Victim and attacker. Both gone in the one day. It scares me how close I came to being up there tonight.

And yet here I lie, my back leant against Cato's chest. Not a worry in the world. Except the tiny fact that I'm going to die in the next few days, if not tomorrow. Before I convinced Cato I was sane enough to take watch we agreed on heading closer to the feast. I don't know why I agreed. The feast is designed to encourage tributes into battle. But what excuse could I give? I can't hide in a cave anymore and I can't tell Cato that I'm worried about bumping into his undead district partner. I have no doubt. He's going to find out about Clove sooner or later.

"You know this is not the best way I've woken up but it's definitely not the worst" And he's awake. Is it such a bad thing that I wanted to stay curled up a little longer? Absent his usual string of smug comments?

"Yeah, well you're not the cleanest either"

"Who said I was talking about cleanliness?" Cato smirks before stretching his arms above his head.

"I'm going to ignore whatever it is you're trying to imply because I need to get this… I need to get this off me" I pull at my shirt, the blood long since dried. I try not to think about how it came to be there.

"Where are you going?"

"The waterfall is out that way" I pause, waving my finger in its general direction.

"And the cornucopia is that way"

"Cato, the feast hasn't even been announced" I sigh and run a hand through my knotted hair. It comes away with bits of dried blood. Despite my issues with heading to the feast, I need food. I haven't eaten a proper meal since the cave. Clove is always in the back of mind though.

"They like to delay it if a tribute is close to hunting another down" He hops of the ground in one movement.

I decide then it might be best if we move on. We haven't exactly been cautious of our actions. Who's to say we're not the ones being hunted. I blame it on Cato. I can't help but feel safe with him around. Or it's the giant sword he carts around.

"It happened in that victor's games. Odair's"

"Finnick Odair?" I ask, vaguely remembering him posing, trident in hand, on one of Effie's magazines. She seemed quite taken with him.

"Ofcourse you would know him" Cato shakes his head with a small chuckle and strides into the forest.

"What the hell does that mean?"

* * *

"Five more minutes"

"You said that fifteen minutes ago" I hear Cato's voice call out from somewhere on the bank. I know we need to move on. We need to get to the cornucopia before nightfall but it's just so relaxing here. Can I be blamed for wanting to delay the inevitable? Cato has actually been tolerable recently. At the least.

"I don't care" I sing back.

Clove or any other tribute could possibly be sneaking up on me at this very moment but the water is so nice it blocks out all of my rational thoughts. Besides Cato is watching from the bank. That does make me a little uncomfortable. He must have known this was here all along. The tiny inlet of water flows off the main stream into forest. The foliage opens up overhead allowing the morning sunlight to warm the water. I wish it wasn't so clear though. I'm not at all confident swimming around in my bra. The pants however, were something I was not willing to compromise on.

"Ever heard of piranhas?"

"What?" I stop floating and allow my feet to fall towards the bottom. Cato is squatting on the bank and dips his head under the water. With a spray he flips his head back up, ruffling it dry.

"Piranhas? Man eating fish? Gamemakers rather fond of them"

With a splash I'm scrambling out of the water as if it were infested with sharks. I don't know what would be worse. Sharks or tiny man eating fish? I clamber over the rocks to grab my shirt and promptly slip face forward on a patch of moss. Luckily I brace myself and land on my knees, almost sliding back into the water. It's not the most flattering of positions. I let out a sigh when I hear his laughter. I open my eyes to see Cato bent over in hysterics. Typical.

"Generally the point is to avoid things that can eat you in seconds" Cato smiles and grips my wrists, pulling me away from the water. I slip again on the same rock and suddenly he grips my waist. He secures me as I gain my footing. I notice how awkward our position is. My chest pushed up against him in the most intimate of ways. Should not have compromised on the shirt.

"Or perhaps you're just playing the damsel in distress"

"There are no piranhas in there" I huff and pull away from him. Immediately wish I was back in his warm arms. I shake my head and reef my clean shirt over myself.

"Never said there was"

Rolling up the bottom of my pants I stomp rather ungracefully into the forest. Stupid Cato. Stupid Hunger Games. How am I supposed to concentrate when I can barely keep my emotions in check?

* * *

I keep at least a metre on him at all times. Every time he steps I try to take two more. Unfortunately his legs are longer than mine. I can't afford to be close to Cato right now, not when he makes me lose focus so easily. My legs trip as I step over a piece of rotten log and his arm immediately shoots out to grab my wrist. Touching is definately not helping. I think of Clove. Happy feelings are quickly replaced by guilt.

From what I gather the cornucopia can't be too far away. Maybe an hour or two at the most. The point is, with every step towards it, the ill feeling in my stomach grows. Every time I get a little bit closer to Cato the guilt is enough to put me in my place. How could I have honestly thought this could work?

"If you keep stomping off like this you're going to get yourself killed" Cato voice is low. Where in no place to start arguments but my irritation still grows.

"I'm still alive" It comes out harsher than I wanted.

"Barely. Don't you remember what happened last time you ran off?"

"That was different" Last time I was running from him because of Rue. This time I have to stay away from him for an entirely different matter.

"How?"

"I had the situation under control"

"You were pinned to the ground with a knife to your neck"

"And I wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for you!" His face registers shock but he quickly masks it, "I thought you had killed that little girl, Cato. I thought you coming after me to finish the job"

"Geez Ira, don't you think if I wanted you dead I would have done it by now. I could have stabbed you in yoursleep a thousand times"

It would be pointless to try and control the way I flinch at his words. I imagine being slaughtered in my sleep. Going to sleep unawares, never waking up. Cato is talking about the idea like he's considered it. I'm reminded of who I'm dealing with. A career.

"There he is. It was about time blood thirsty career made an appearance"

"You really have a great opinion of me, don't you?" He starts to become sarcastic. Even though I've only been with him for a few days, I know he does this to avoid situations. Most of the time I'm responsible for it.

"Well you haven't exactly done anything to prove it wrong. How many people did you kill before I found you?"

"Before! Damn it Ira. Do you think I enjoy putting my ass on the line to save you all the time and dealing with your psychotic meltdowns"

"Glad to hear to what you really think" I think I could cry at that moment but after last night, the tears wouldn't even come if I wanted them too. How far we have come? One moment he's joking and the next he sounds like he's disgusted by me. The worst thing is I'm not at all innocent in this. Ofcourse, he's proved he isn't the cold blooded killer I thought he was. What have I proved? I can't keep this charade up so I walk away.

"You know I didn't mean it", I hear him call out but I keep walking away. How could I possibly think everything was going to turn out all right, "You're going to get yourself killed"

"Why do you care?" I stop and face him. I was kidding myself to think we could avoid this conversation. We both were, "Six left, Cato. I think it's time to stop playing around"

"Is that what you think I've been doing?"

"I have no idea what you're doing. You said it, we're even now. There's nothing stopping you from leaving. Two people can't win this thing"

"Do you want me to go?" I can't answer that. He won't want to stay for long.

"If anything I owe you for saving my life"

"That's not what I asked. Do you want me to leave, Ira?"

It's a simple question but there are too many factors. One of us will die. I lied to him about Clove. He's career. I look down at the ground, my dirty boots suddenly very interesting. Despite everything, Cato has always been there. I don't know what would happen if he were to leave now. He will eventually but I don't want to find out.

"No" I lift my head to find he's inches from me. Whatever happens will happen. I can't change anything now. In this moment he is here. Cato hasn't left me yet.

"Then we stay together until we can't anymore" His voice is very soft, unusually so and I find myself not wanting to look away form those blue eyes. My fingers won't work and I curse them because all I want to do is reach up behind his neck. I'm not in the games anymore. I don't want to be. All I want is to be as close to Cato as I can. I begin to lean in when he quickly pulls away.

"Five" His voice is back to normal.

"What?" I step away puzzled and slightly out of breath.

"You said there were six of us left. There's five" My eyes widen at my mistake. I take another step back. My mind somersaults till I'm back in the Games. How could I forget everything I've done to this person? And so quickly? He's the career but maybe I'm not so above him as I thought. Cato has changed but I haven't. I've always been selfish. Seconds ago I would have kissed him. I so wanted to kiss him.

"Cato…"

"_Attention tributes of the 74__th__ annual Hunger Games"_

I glance up at the skies but of course there's nothing there. The voice of Claudius Templesmith sounds from speakers I can't see. I ignore him. The feast is being announced but I won't let is distract me. There's always been something there to distract me. I had been grateful for it until now.

"Ira?" Cato looks concerned as he tries to close the distance between us but I take another step backwards. Do it now. No distractions. Block them all out.

"_I am delighted to inform you of a rule change"_

"Cato. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to" Do it now.

"What did you do?" His eyes are narrowed but at least he's stopped following me. I take a deep breath. What did Claudius say? A rule change? One more deep breath because I know this is it. This is the end of all things.

"_The last two remaining tributes will be crowned victors. I repeat, for the 74__th__ annual Hunger Games two victors will crowned"_

"Clove is alive" The words fall out because I'm on autopilot. Did he just say two victors?

"_Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favour"_

* * *

_**The Control Room**_

The control room falls silent, everything is quiet except for the beeping of the tracking systems. If someone dropped a pin you would be able to hear it. Seneca Crane stands still on his balcony, overlooking his employees and his games. His knuckles are white from the tight grip his has on the railing. No one makes eye contact with him. Some don't because they know he's about to lose his cool. The majority don't look at his cold eyes because he's just been handed a death sentence. By a girl, half his age. Seneca Crane is a dead man walking.

"Can someone please tell me WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?"

* * *

_A/N_: A day late but I had serious troubles with this chapter hope it doesn't show too much. As for the big action scenes you were expecting don't worry they are coming. There's only five left… or is that six? haha Xxx So grateful for the reviews/fav/follows and reads! Xxx


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: A Change of Target

_**Cato POV**_

"_No. We can do this. You just have to hold on for a little longer" I'm pleading. No, begging._

"_Come on, it was always going to end this way" My hands find the source of her bleeding and try to block it. The blood simply running out between my fingers._

"_I shouldn't have left. If I was faster I could have…"_

"_Cato. This isn't your fault" She interrupts me as she gurgles. Red liquid erupts from her mouth. It's the one time I feel utterly helpless._

"_It's not that bad. I can get to the others. I can get you home"_

"_We both know why you can't do that. Listen to me, you have to find her. I was selfish for trying to keep you from her" _

* * *

_**(The Day Earlier)**_

_**Ira POV**_

I flinch as the sword slices into the tough tree bark. He moves so quickly all I see is the glint of metal and a scattering of bark flying through the air. Another hard swipe and the tree loses a branch. I can't help but picture it as one of my trembling limbs. I've never seen him so mad. Even the glimpse of him at the bloodbath was minor compared to this. And all of his fury is directed at one person.

"She's alive!" Cato barks out between clenched teeth. At least he's stopped trying to destroy things.

"I'm sorry. I thought…"

"You thought what? That I would magically fall into your pathetic arms because I thought my district partner was dead"

He looks me up and down as if I am the most disgusting thing he's ever seen. I don't blame him. I've kept him from the one piece of home he had here. I made him alone.

"If you knew she was alive there would be nothing to stop you from leaving me" My voice is shaky and I'm trembling all over. I barely get out the sentence when Cato launches forward. One large arm pushes into my windpipe and my back slams against a tree. He holds me so my boot tips are just scraping the ground.

"You used me". I want to tell him it's not true. I would never do that to him but the pressure on my neck is too great. I splutter out his name, my fingers desperately trying to pry his arm away.

"Cato, please" His eyes widen and he quickly steps back. I drop to the ground, gasping for air.

"You know Clove warned me about you. She said that you would mess with my head"

"That's not what I was doing" I say as he turns his back on me. The tree loses another branch. Cato is pacing back and forth now. I was less scared when he standing still. He rakes a hand through his hair before pointing his sword at me, shaking it slightly.

"This is something you cooked up with your mentor, isn't it?"

"No" I say and shake my head. My neck is tender and seizes the movement.

"Don't lie to me" He all but whispers as he couches down beside me, "Do you know where she is?"

"I don't. I'm so sorry" I feel tears run down my cheeks. Would it be such bad thing if he were to kill me now? Would anyone care?

"How did it feel when you lost the boy?" Cato says louder this time. I try to ignore him when he brings up Dany but it's no use, once the tears start they don't stop. That comment was designed to hurt. I can see the battle within him. I don't know whether he's going to stay or leave. He stands up, leaving me on the ground. I realise now that I'm lucky. If you could call this luck.

"Well Ira, you got your wish. No one is ever going to forget you"

With those words Cato walks away, takes a final swipe at some plants and simply disappears. I listen to his heavy footsteps but the sound doesn't last long. I pull my knees into my chest and bury my head. I let the tears take over.

* * *

_**Cato POV**_

My hand tightens around my sword on instinct. The trees are starting to thin out meaning I'm getting closer to the cornucopia. In the distance I'm sure I can see the glint of its golden surface in the sun. By the end of the day this place will be swarming with the remaining tributes. Let them come. Anyone foolish enough to form an attack on me will be dead in minutes. If only they knew what I'm capable of at the moment.

She made me look weak. The one thing no one has ever managed to do. I couldn't control myself. It took every ounce of my willpower not to hurt her. But I still did. I know her district partner is a sore spot. That something inside me that I can't control, which I've been hiding is bubbling with anger.

I still count myself as lucky though. Two victors. There can be two victors and Clove is still alive. The odds are definitely in my favour now. I wonder briefly what would have happened if Clove actually had died. The voice in the back of my head tells me I would have gone to the end with Ira. She's not as weak as she makes out. She would make a great victor. Even so, she lied, Clove didn't die but strangely a part of me still wants to turn around.

I pause and throw my sword into the ground. The Games are supposed to be about the physical side of things not the mental. It's all a game. I smash the urge to go back to her. The games don't end when the victor is crowned. If I could overlook the lies, what would it look like if I were to choose her over my own district partner? I would be crucified by everyone I ever knew.

I let out a frustrated growl and promptly slam my fist into a tree. The pain barely registers.

"Enjoy your vacation?" My sword is in my hand without hesitation. I spin around at the sound but I'm greeted with someone I wasn't expecting.

"Clove"

"You look terrible" She says but I can safely say she looks a lot worse than me. Not that I would tell her unless I wanted a knife in my back. Her hair is hanging in tatters around her face, hiding a lopsided grin. Dry blood makes patterns down her arms and seeps into her chest piece. Of course her knives look brand new.

"What happened to you?" I ask and she keeps walking, indicating our direction. I notice she walks with a slight hobble. She keeps talking as if I nothing has changed. I suppose it hasn't.

"I could ask you the same. I've searched every square inch of this place looking for you. I was starting to think you didn't want to be found"

"I got attacked" I leave out the details. I leave out the fact that another tribute nursed me back to health and I've spent the entire time with her. Clove begins to laugh.

"Me too. More than once. I tell you what, this is not turning out the way I expected"

"That makes two of us"

"You know we can take one good thing out of this. Those idiot tributes got rid of Sparkles for us. I would have done it myself but the way her face blew up", her laughs increase but I'm still processing her words, "Definitely worth the two days I spent unconscious"

"Tributes?" I ask with narrowed eyes and come to a stop. We were attacked by tracker jackers.

"What? Don't tell me you honestly didn't know. You thought the Gamemakers did that? To us?"

"Clove" I'm getting impatient.

"The assholes from eight. Skinny rat girl and the dumbass. They dropped a fucking tracker jacker nest on us! They're everywhere in here", she pauses to look around the tree tops before turning back to me, "And then they have the nerve to try to hunt me down. I only got a hundred metres before collapsing in some rotten tree trunk. Marvel wasn't so lucky. And when I wake up I have to deal with Eleven"

I groan at the realisation that we're not the only big players anymore. Even worse the threats are coming from the lower districts. I briefly consider the possible threat but I'm not the only one I'm thinking about.

"Where are they now?"

"I'll show you. They're right up there" My eyes follow her arm until I'm looking straight in the direction of the cornucopia. The glint of it in the midday sun is unmistakeable. My day just got a whole lot worse. Clove must be looking at my downcast face because she says my thoughts exactly.

"Yep. They have all the weapons"

* * *

_**Ira POV**_

The afternoon sky has turned into a harsh fiery orange when I finally drag myself onto two legs. I'm unsteady from sitting down too long and almost fall flat on my backside. Wishing I could stay curled up on the ground for the remainder of the games, I feel a cold wind hit my face reminding me that I can't. If I stay here I freeze to death.

My movements are off balance and stiff when I get going. My progress is slow but at least I know where I'm headed. I walk a few metres in the direction that Cato had left before deviating. In the growing darkness I can just make out the rocky outcrop. Behind it the ledge of rock I slept under before I caused all this mess.

I find that the real reason I'm not moving faster is because I don't really want to leave. There's still hope that Cato might come back. If I move to far away he might not be able to find me. Stepping closer to my target, I shake my head. Why would he come back to me?

The ledge isn't as big as I remembered nor is it as desirable as I made it out to be. It's cold, cramped and slimy with some type of moss. My arms quickly get covered in green streaks. I think that I haven't done much at all in these games. Not to help myself. I've lost Dany, all of my supplies and I caused Cato to leave. Just when I admitted I wanted him to stay. The worse thing is that now two victors can win. It isn't as good as it sounds. The tributes are going to pair up, if not already, and hunt down the rest of us. The only ones without partners at the moment is Thresh and I. That's not going to happen.

The absence of my tarp is undoubtedly noticed when the wind changes direction. If Dany was still alive we could have won this together. I keep replaying the whole thing and one thing jumps out at me.

'_Go get them wonder woman'_

He knew I had it in me. Dany knew that there was more to me. Even if it's the last thing I do, I have to do this. I am going to go get them.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Forced Choices

_A/N:_ Hey guys, this chapter is a big one. It's easily my longest chapter yet but I was bit late updating this week. Also slight language (yes it's only one word but you never know). I reached 45 reviews so thank you so much to every one of you. All through this chapter I had the urge to write 'Dont go into the long grass!' (you'll get it if your've ever seen Jurassic Pk 2) Enjoy!

* * *

One step at a time. Look at the situation and make informed decisions. I am going to die. I know now trying to climb a four metre high tree at night time is not the best of ideas. My view of my situation is that I can take three steps forward, grab the weird looking piece of fruit, fall and probably die in the process or climb back down and starve. The feast could not come sooner.

I'm getting desperate. The gnawing sensation of hunger in my stomach is driving me crazy. Using a stick to knock the fruit to the ground, I wonder how I manage to get myself into these ridiculous positions. Unfortunately there's no one else around to blame.

After spending no longer than a couple of hours under my ledge, I emerged knowing that the closer I got to the cornucopia the better my chances are. I try not to think about the possibility of tributes lurking around as I carefully jump down from the tree. I've always got an ear open but thinking about it only increases my paranoia. The reason I scaled the tree in the first place was because I was convinced someone was following me. I haven't completely ruled that out yet.

No sooner than my feet hit the ground, I hear the trumpets.

"Finally" I say to myself. Claudius' voice booms across the arena announcing the feast. The morning after tomorrow. I groan and pick up the tiny fruit. They're not delaying it anymore. It can only mean all of the tributes are in the vicinity of the cornucopia. Now more than ever I accept I have to do this alone.

"If it isn't obvious already" I whisper and twirl the fruit around in the air, "Food would be greatly appreciated Haymitch"

If the feast delivers I should be walking away with enough food to last me till the end. I rethink that. I should be 'running' away with enough food. My plan doesn't go much further than that. They're all going to be there waiting. Pearl. Murray. Thresh. Clove. And him. I know the chances of running into Cato will be high. But is it so bad that I want to see him one last time.

I spend the rest of the night heading towards the cornucopia. A cold wind constantly whips at my hair, sprawling it across my face. I pull my jacket in closer. In the darkness, before the arena lights up, the place is strangely calm. Like its making up for what's about to come. The grass I walk through is long, waist height and blowing into my legs. The trees creak in the wind. I get that feeling again. Turning around, I face the direction I've come. The grass I've walked on has sprung upright, looking like no one has ever come this way before.

Brushing it off as paranoia, I spin back around when a cough breaks through the silence. I freeze. The cough is soon followed by another and some type of wheezing sound. My legs remain glued to the spot even though every fibre of my being is telling me to run. Leaving the ledge was a very bad idea.

"Come to finish the job, Two?" A deep gruff voice comes from my right, causing me to jump sky high. I step backwards into a tree, scanning for the source of the voice. He coughs again.

"I'm afraid there's not much left" I realise now the voice belongs to Thresh. Thresh the giant district eleven tribute that stands at double my height.

All thoughts of fighting till the end go out the window and I'm sprinting away from the injured tribute like I'm on fire. I never thought I could run so fast. The trees whip past me and the grass thins out into leaf litter before I realise I'm not being followed. It takes me five or six looks behind to calm down. I keep running anyway. My only thought is to distance myself from death that I fail to notice a tiny glowing speck has invaded my vision. It shines a bright orange in the darkness and with every step I take it gets slightly bigger.

What on earth is that? My feet lock up before my brain catches on and I'm sent flying face forward into the dirt. The impact causes me to grunt loudly. I struggle to contain a cough as a cloud of dirt cloaks me. When it finally settles the orange light becomes terrifyingly clear. Too close. Too close. I frantically crawl backwards into a large bush but my eyes never leave the cornucopia or the small campfire next to it. Only when two black figures cross in front of it do I stop. Way too close.

* * *

_**Cato POV**_

The noise spooks an owl, sending it rushing out of a nearby tree. We're on our feet in an instant.

"You hear that?" Clove asks but we both keep our eyes on the forest, "Tribute?"

I nod my head in reply. The noise was too loud, too long to be anything other than a tribute. The only question is what caused someone to make that much noise, this close to the cornucopia?

Clove and I had only moved into position on the edge of the forest about an hour ago. Knowing the feast would be tomorrow morning we needed to get here as soon as possible. A large shrub hides us from those at the cornucopia. The pair from eight most certainly would have heard the noise as well.

"Well, are you coming?" Clove eagerly steps forward but I grab her arm. The noise could have only come from two other tributes. I keep my face set, not to give my hesitation away.

"We don't know who it is?" I whisper harshly. Clove pulls her arm out my grip and looks at me with narrowed eyes. For someone so small she definitely knows how to demand attention.

"It's either Eleven or your little barbie doll. I put a knife in Eleven's back so he's not going to be a problem", she pauses with a smile, "Unless, that's not who you're worried about?"

I know what she's doing. We've trained together for too long. Her eyes search for that flicker of truth in mine. Something that proves she right. I simply stare back; to pull away would also give her reason to doubt me. I'm not sure why I'm trying so hard to keep my time with Ira hidden. It would be easy to tell Clove I was the one who used the girl. Unfortunately it doesn't explain why I didn't kill her. Clove hates weakness as much as me. More so when someone else's weaknesses affect her.

"You know, you never told me where you were all this time?"

"You stay. Keep an eye on the eights" I ignore the question and turn back to see the two of them deep in discussion. The boy is pointing off into the forest. I have to go now.

"No way. You're not having all the fun"

"We need to keep an eye on them. Maybe the boy will leave and give you a chance to take out the girl" Clove thinks it over before she finally agrees, her hatred of the girl from eight winning out. With my sword clutched in one hand, I quickly step out of our position.

"Don't get yourself killed, ok?" Clove says before I can disappear into the forest. I stare at her face and it's like I'm staring directly into the eyes of Sophie, my sister. It reminds me there's a job that needs finishing.

"Don't miss"

* * *

_**Ira POV**_

I can tell by her hand gestures that she's furious with him. He flinches almost at the exact time I do.

Between the gaps in the foliage, I peer out at Pearl and Murray who have taken over the career's camp. I'm not surprised. Murray becomes frantic in his movements, unsheathing a long curved blade and signalling with it to the forest. I've made too much noise but I'm way too curious of the pair to leave. It's like watching one of the old films before the rebellion, the ones with no words. I have to try and guess what they're saying from their body movements. The film doesn't remain silent for long.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Pearl's voice is faint but the wind carries it to my ears. She's walking away from her partner and over to the cornucopia. In an instant she has two short, thin spears in each of her hands and is attaching them to some sort of brace at her elbow. They form sharp extensions of her arms.

"I'm not going in there" Murray says incredulously but takes a quick step back as Pearl closes in.

"If you don't go, I will spear you my fucking self!"

I lose interest in them almost immediately. I barely have enough time to scramble to my feet and make a desperate dash for the long grass before Murray bursts into the forest. It's a quick decision. I would rather face an injured Thresh than him.

The eruption of noise echoes behind me as I drive into the grass. Murray smashes through the trees with little care about who hears him. Just like a career. I glance behind to see nothing but a sea of green. It's kind of hard not to hear him though. Anyone in the area would.

Panicking, I clamber through the grass and use my fingertips as guides. I pat around in the soil, hoping to god there's nothing else hiding down here. My fingertips brush against something rough. A piece of rotting log. It's a tight squeeze but I use the last of my energy to heave myself under it and out the other side. At the last second the bottom of pants leg snags and rips. I pay it little attention for I quickly become aware of my surroundings. The forest has fallen eerily silent.

I hear my own panting, my heart hammering beneath my chest. A thousand thoughts are rushing through my mind. Where is he? Where is Thresh? What the hell did he mean by '_not much left'_? I squeeze my eyes shut and listen.

The crickets remain quiet. It's a tell-tale sign that I'm not alone. I think I can hear the grass rustling but it could just be the wind. At least I hope it's the wind. Somewhere off to my right there's a shriek but it's not from a tribute. My breathing is slowly settling. Maybe he's moved on. I mean Murray isn't the brightest of tributes. I wouldn't be surprised if this was all a show for Pearl. Its then he starts to whistle. What is it about whistling when you're coming in for the kill? If I had any type of weapon I could just jump up and stab him.

"I would stay still" Thresh's voice is weak, nothing like it was before. He's to my right but hidden in the grass. I feel like telling him I'm not exactly in the mood to start dancing.

"Where is he?" I whisper as my eyes scan back and forth. I can hear Thresh's heavy breathing. He doesn't reply so I slide up onto my knees. I slowly raise my head until the tops of the grass are level with my eyes. In the moonlight, the grass reflects silver and the trees make a pattern of moving shadows. I can't see Murray.

"Stay still" Thresh says again with a little more urgency. I feel something scrap against the sole of my boot. I spin around but there's nothing there.

"You're not from Two are you?"

"Six" Fur brushes the tips of my fingers and on reflex I flinch away. Over my left shoulder there's another shriek.

"Nice to meet you Six"

The moment the words leave his mouth, the grass erupts with life and Murray is forgotten. It happens all so 's an unnatural cry and I catch a flash of mottled green fur racing past us. Thresh is saying something but I'm too busy trying to dodge the movement that shakes the grass. Whatever the creatures are they never come in close, never staying still long enough so I can get a go look at them. Is this why Murray didn't want to come in here?

A particularly large hit has me scrambling on my back away from them. Thresh screams out adding to the commotion. And then it's Murray's turn. He doesn't scream in pain but in anger. I try to get to my feet but every time I get one foot planted something hits it, sending me to ground again. I try not to make a noise but suddenly my head is reefed backwards as they latch onto my hair. I say 'they' because there are at least twenty of these tiny creatures. Unwillingly both Murray and I have set off a feeding frenzy. I scream out, thrashing frantically.

"Ira"

The sound is muffled. My mind swirling to understand the situation. In the background, the shrieks grow louder as the rodent like creatures rush past me. Thresh's screams are now so loud that they pierce my ears. They only attract more the creatures.

"Ira!" That one sounded like my name.

I latch onto a clump of fur and with a cry, I pitch the rodent into a tree. One down. How many to go? I don't care. I am not being eaten alive by green rats. I stand on unsteady legs and slam my foot down, crushing one of their skulls. I do it again. And again. Even managing to kick one into the air. Another three times and I start to realise it's useless. Each kill only attracts another creature.

They are just starting to group at my feet again when a hand is suddenly in front of my eyes. I follow the arm up into the trees and I'm shocked to see blue eyes looking down at me. Cato is on the lowest branch of a tree, leaning over with an outstretched arm.

"Give me your hand" I don't hesitate and grab it as Cato lifts me into the air.

* * *

The instant I regain my balance, my arms fly up around his neck and I pull him close. I don't know why but he's always there to save me. I'm not about to question it. It's not like the last time he held me. This time I'm completely aware of what I'm doing. I breathe him in as my head burrows into his the warmth of his neck. I would have stayed there forever if he didn't pull away to clasp my face in hands.

"You alright?" I nod my head but my eyes are drawn over his shoulder.

Murray, now waist deep in the grass, is screaming. He hacks at the unseen creatures that have no doubt turned on him. I catch the glint of metal in the moonlight as he thrusts his sword down at his feet. Something squeals and he continues his attack. Two, maybe three times he's forced to ground but each time he fights his way back up. Another swipe of his blade and Murray turns, sprinting back towards the cornucopia. The creatures follow him. A cannon fires and I know Thresh is dead.

"We need to move, now!" Cato has jumped out of the tree with his hand tight around my wrist. I follow quickly behind him. "If we can get back to Clove, we can…"

"Clove?" I stop dead in my tracks. The forest has fallen silent again and all I can hear is my heart hammering beneath my chest. Cato is still tugging me towards him.

"I won't let her touch you" He seems so certain of himself. Cato steps towards me and places a hand to the side of my face. His eyes are the bluest I've ever seen them. My heart has started to pound for an entirely new reason.

"Ira, we have to go" It would be so easy to just say yes but we've done this so many times before.

"We can't do this again" I'm surprised by the strength of my voice when I'm sure my body is about to give out at any second. His hand remains at my cheek but he's shaking his head.

"Cato. _You_ have to go"

"No. Look what almost just happened"

"Please" I beg him to go even though my heart isn't entirely happy with the idea. I think of Dany and how I made him a promise. I can't do it with Cato, not when it means taking him away from Clove for a second time.

"No" He says loudly like he won't accept my response, "I'm not leaving you again"

"Cato, please…"

If it wasn't for the sudden pressure of his lips on mine I would have finished those words. My mind goes blank. Cato is kissing me. All I feel are those warm lips pressing against mine as the wind blows my hair across both of our faces. I sink into the kiss, melting, leaning on him until his arms wrap around me in support. I'm not thinking. My hand is at the back of his neck pulling him closer and my heart is ordering my head to stay quiet. He deepens the kiss and I'm about to respond, I really want to respond, when I hear Cato's name.

Suddenly Cato has pulled back in shock, his hands drop to his side. I stare at the blank expression on his face and wonder if he's regretting the kiss already when I hear it again. It's only then that I realise it's not just someone calling his name, their screaming it. Within seconds Cato has his sword in his hand but he pauses. I glance up at him to find him staring at me. I can see the confusion cross his face as if trying to determine what to do. Stay with me or go to her? I know who's screaming for him so I do the only thing I can.

"Save her" In one breath I relinquish everything I ever shared with Cato.

The last couple of days are wiped and forgotten. I should be happy for finally doing it but it's hurts too much. He doesn't respond but when he turns and sprints towards her I know it already. I was always worried he would choose her. His district partner, his last piece of home. There was always that choice hanging over my head and recently over his. But in the end, all I could do was make the choice for him. It was the only way he'll be able to live after this. I walk in opposition direction and beg the tears not to come. I force a smile to my lips. I finally fixed everything. I made him choose Clove.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: A Feast for Four

_**Cato POV**_

"Cato!" Her voice is the most terrified I've ever heard it. Not once has she ever made a sound like the one she is making now. She's screaming for me and yet my mind is still in complete disarray.

"Clove!" Despite calling out her name, I'm thinking of another person that I've left behind. I should have made Ira come with me. God knows what she was thinking. I can protect her. If I wasn't so out of breath I would have laughed. I'm doing such a good job of that. I've left Sophie with our brain controlling parents, Ira in the middle of nowhere and now I'm losing Clove. Where is she?

"Clove?!" I call out once more, spinning in a circle before taking off again. She's stopped screaming.

My legs jar with every step, sending a shot of pain up my back. After a couple days of lying around my body is having trouble acclimatizing to its new demands. I push myself to go faster but something inside says it's no use. She's stopped screaming.

Just when I feel the familiar burning in my legs, I smash through a smaller tree into the area I had left Clove. My eyes flick back and forth before landing on a shivering figure balled up on the ground. There's a reason she isn't making a sound. I rush and kneel at her side but she flinches away from me.

"Hey, hey. It's me. Clove. It's me" I place my hand on her shoulder but as she rolls over I pull away. The spear lodged into her lower stomach spurts a gush of blood. My hands comes away red.

"Cato?" she says with quivering voice. I nod and swallow. It takes all my willpower not to take off after the bitch that did this. "I missed"

"It doesn't matter. I have to pull this out now, ok?"

"No. Leave it"

"Clove it needs to come out" I say with a little more insistence. The longer I leave the spear in her body the more blood she's going to lose. I secure a hand around the metal length of the spear, ready to heave it out when her hand clutches mine. Her skin is abnormally cold.

"Leave it" She splutters, coughing up blood into my face.

"No. We can do this. You just have to hold on for a little longer" I'm pleading. No, begging.

"Come on, it was always going to end this way" My hands find the source of the bleeding and try to block it. The blood simply spilling out between my fingers and the spear.

"I shouldn't have left. If I was faster I could have…"

"Cato. This isn't your fault" She interrupts me as she gurgles. Red liquid runs from the sides of her mouth. It's the one time I feel utterly helpless.

"It's not that bad. I can get to the others. I can get you home"

"We both know why you can't do that. Listen to me, you have to find her. I was selfish for trying to keep you from her"

I pause at her words.

"You really think I didn't know" Clove chuckles with blood stained teeth. Her eyes look past me to the sky, "Cato, I know you too well"

"That's why you have to stay with me" I hold her head so she can't look away. She doesn't understand what she's capable off. She can survive this. We're careers we are meant to survive this.

"The girl, she's fast. But she leaves her sides open. Watch her left arm, she favours it"

"I'm not listening to this"

"You have to. Cato you have to win this thing." She's taking a lot of time between her words, swallowing almost every second. I've watched more than enough people die. Most of them have been at my hands but Clove is strong in her final moments unlike the others. She's gripping my wrist so I don't leave. I want to tell her that I never would but it's not the first time I've said those words. And I break that promise every time.

"For you. Not for them" She says before falling quiet and closes her eyes. It's going to take a while. The spear hasn't hit any major organs but the blood loss will kill her. I sit down and quietly watch her breathing. I stay like that for the rest of the day.

* * *

_**Ira POV**_

They can smell it. They circle me, darting in and out of the foliage as if daring me to lash out. I glance down at my bloody legs, scratched from earlier on. It's the only way they could have found me. I guess containing them to the grass was too much to ask for.

I watch them, surprisingly calm. Occasionally there's a flicker a green as their eyes reflect in the growing darkness but before I can focus it's gone. Soon I won't be able to see them at all. The sun is quickly losing its brightness. I wonder if it's actually the real sun or an image projected in the sky.

A rodent slips a little too close and I shift causing it squeal and dash back to the safety of the grass. I wish I could scale a tree but from where I am, on the edge of the forest, I would be spotted instantly. Not that Pearl and Murray are exactly playing attention. She's been complaining about Clove for the last couple of hours. I assume she was the reason from Clove's pleas. She sports a nasty cut high on her right thigh which after ripping off her pant leg has it bandaged. Murray sits on a log, twirling his blade in the soil. I can't see if he's injured or not.

There hasn't been a cannon yet so I assume Cato had reached Clove in time. Both from two and both from eight are alive and paired up. Where does that leave me? I start to hope that Pearl and Murray haven't been faking their abilities all this time. If they are, Cato and Clove will easily get rid of them. I don't want it to come down to the three of us.

I feel the brush of fur against my ankle and I kick out. They are getting much too confident for my liking. They call to each other in high-pitched shrieks. It puts my nerves on edge but I can't do anything about it. Until the feast in the morning I'm stuck here. Rats or no rats.

In the early hours of the morning, a cannon fires. Its startles me out of my haze and I quickly sit up, my head spinning. There's a flurry of movement to my right as I spook a few rodents away. No doubt there are a few other things in there as well. I winch in pain. My head isn't just spinning its pounding. How long was it since I last had some water? I think back to swimming around in the river. I groan at my stupidity. Water wasn't exactly on my mind at that point in time. Another thing I can blame Cato for. I feel the familar flutter in my chest at the thought of him. He kissed me. I kissed him. No, I shake my head. I made the choice for him. He's not coming back.

I stare up at the sky and notice it's a lot closer to morning than I expected. The darkness has already begun to shrink away. Hopefully my furry friends decide to join it. I suddenly pause with a frown plastered across my face. A strange feeling passes over me.

"Wait a second" I whisper to myself. It takes a few seconds to catch on. A cannon? That's not right.

I shake my head and consider the likelihood of my imagination conjuring up something like that. An hour out from the feast and someone dies? My eyes widen and I shoot forward onto my belly. I quickly crawl over to the edge of the clearing. I'm still not entirely sure I heard it right but I know one thing that can confirm it. The eights.

I glance across at the cornucopia, the careers old camp and finally the lake. Noone's there. I blink in disbelief and scan the area again. They're gone. Well that makes absolutely no sense. Why would they give up their advantage? They had the high ground. We had to come to them. The pounding in my head has become increasingly painful.

Before, I had everyone covered. The eights were in plain sight and Cato had run in a totally different direction to my own. But now? I turn around and take time to search the area behind me. I can only hope the rats are enough of a deterrent to stop a tribute from approaching in that direction. I curse under my breath and run through who might have just died. Murray is the first to come to mind. He's slow and not to mention has the brain of a five year old. Pearl was injured but not enough to keep her down. Then there's the other two. I don't want to think about Cato's death. I can't. It seems very unlikely anyway. Clove on the other hand was screaming. But that was early this morning.

Everything is becoming muddled. I focus on one question for a second before another demands my attention. I end up with my forehead falling to the ground. If I had the time, I'm sure I would have had one of my crazy psychotic meltdowns, as Cato had put it, right there. But no sooner than I consider it, it's cleared away. The sound of trumpets echo, announcing the feast. A feast for only four.

Meltdowns pushed aside I look up and get to my feet in an instant. Survival and hope fill me. This is it. No way is everyone coming out of this alive. The feast will decide the victors.

* * *

The table is pristine white. It even has its own table cloth. That seems a little over the top. In the middle are four individual bags. Each with a district number stamped onto it but it's hard to distinguish them apart. They are all roughly the same size which complicates thing even further. The one closest to me is more cylindrical than the others like it holds a long tube or something. I dismiss it quickly. I'm after food and water. The others bags look more suited to that but I won't be able to tell until I get closer. Unfortunately there will be no sneaking up and grabbing the right bag. You make a run for it or you never make it all.

I hear a few songbirds singing in the background. It's what you would expect at this hour of morning. However they seem like a ploy by the Gamemakers. Their songs say everything is fine, peaceful even. They make it seem so easy like I could skip my way out there and retrieve a bag without the slightest scratch. We all know better.

The table remains full, the remaining tributes hidden. It's been about five minutes when someone finally plucks up the courage to enter the clearing. My mouth falls open as I watch him emerge with an air of confidence. Without any hesitation at all, Murray walks silently up to the table. He doesn't run nor is he scanning the area. He simply stretches out his hand, plucks up the bag, slides it over his shoulder and turns back to the forest. And then he just stands there. For someone so stupid he is awfully clever. The curved blade in his hand signifies everything. You want your bag you have to go through Murray first.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Nowhere to Hide

_A/N:_ Can I just say that the whole time I've spent trying to pretend Cato didn't actually die by reading fanfics non stop over the past months, ruined in just one seating of the movie. I actually found myself screaming 'stupid hunger games' out loud, dressed as Glimmer at a hunger games party. Yep, never thought that would happen. Anyways my mojo is back and so is another chapter. Warning of violence and this is NOT the ENDING. Enjoy!

* * *

_And then he just stands there. For someone so stupid he is awfully clever. The curved blade in his hand signifies everything. You want your bag you have to go through Murray first._

He shifts his weight between his feet like he's swaying in the wind. Most of the time he's inspecting the sharp end of his sword but occasionally his eyes drift up to the forest. Where is Cato? Surely he wouldn't be intimidated by someone like Murray. What about Clove? One perfect flick of her wrist and he would be killed in an instant. I bet Pearl has put him up to this. I forget one small minor detail. One of them is dead.

I fidget nervously with a loose thread from my soiled jacket. I consider my options and then stop. I don't have any options. Until Murray moves or another tribute appears I'm stuck here. Out in this forest I might as well be a sitting duck.

Another ten minutes and nothing much has changed. Murray has sat down, relaxing back against the leg of the table. For some reason he hasn't gone through the bags, maybe it wasn't in his instructions. The nerves I once had are replaced with annoyance. At Murray. At everyone else in this arena for sitting around and doing nothing. That is until I realise I am one of those people. The Gamemakers won't put up with this for long.

And apparently neither will Cato. Murray is on his feet in a second. He catches the glimpse of movement just before I do but he doesn't flinch. He was prepared for this. Cato is quick. I have a flashback to him at the bloodbath. Flying into battle at the cornucopia exactly like he is now. Murray hesitates at the sight of the charging tribute. He briefly steps behind the table but thinks better of it. He holds his sword up, quickly walks away from the cornucopia and simply waits in his position.

That's all it takes for all hell to break loose. The clash of metal is the first sound that reaches my ears. Cato brings his sword down onto Murray's, causing him to stumble. Despite Murray's preparation he's not a career. Another swipe is blocked but the force knocks him off his feet. He slams into the ground with Cato's blade quickly following him. I lose track of their movements after that. They end up behind the cornucopia.

I'm searching the clearing for any sign of another tribute but it's useless. With the sound of fighting in the background, I take my chance and burst into the clearing. My first steps are wobbly, off balance after being on the ground so long. It takes me a few metres to find my speed. Nothing else matters, only reaching my bag. I'm so convinced that I won't even make it that when I do my brain stops working. I pause. The one thing you shouldn't do in the middle of a warzone.

Bag. Grab the god damn bag. I shake my head, glancing back the way I came. Still no sign of anyone. Bag. Need to get the bag. My district number. Where the hell is my number? I make out the number two stamped on the closest bag. The next two are stamped with eights. I don't notice the significance of this because my eyes fall onto the last bag. The one I was convinced couldn't possibly be mine. If I wasn't so busy I might have plotted Haymitch's death. I know what's in there before even opening it. He hasn't given me food. He's given me weapons. Haymitch has sent me my daggers.

I curse under my breath and snatch the bag but as I begin to open it, the table shakes violently. What was that? I take a quick step back and consider the possibility of a tribute hiding underneath it but once again I'm frozen to the spot. My eyes widen as I glance down at one of the table legs. A cleanly polished metal spear splintering its timber.

My fingers desperately begin reefing at the bag, trying with all my might to open it. I can hear her behind me. I don't need to turn around because I know she's coming. Her footsteps are loud, thudding down one after the other. The panic rises up making my palms sweaty. In frenzy I begin pulling at the material but it's strong. It doesn't budge.

I grasp onto the zipper, still shaking. I give myself three more seconds for the task. Three. I rip open the zipper but at about halfway it catches on a loose thread. Two. I try again. This time my hands find either side of the zipper and I do it the old fashioned way, tearing it open. One. The cylinder has no lid, thank god. I find the familiar feeling of leather grips and spin away. In those three seconds, Pearl has reached me.

I duck down at the last moment, barely missing her swing. She's run at me so fast that no sooner than the spear slices through the air, her body hits me. The momentum sends us crashing over top of the table, upending it along with its contents. I hit the ground first. Pearl lands with a huff as the white table cloth cloaks over us. I rip it away in desperation but suddenly wince in pain. The edge of the broken table has slammed hard onto my right ankle. It must be sprained.

I cry out as the table becomes a lot heavier. Pearl is using it to heave herself into a standing position. She's panting heavily but is spinning her head in every possible direction. I realise now that she has dropped her spears. With my free leg I kick out, striking her in the back of the knee. She screams, falling forward slightly. Unfortunately, it's too quick a recovery. Before I can curse myself for my mistake, alerting her of my presence, Pearl is on top of me. Her weight knocks away my breath and she straddles my waist. One hand crushes into my neck. The other holds my hands and daggers tightly above my head. I thrash about to no avail.

"Aww. You seem a little stuck" Pearl coos, glancing back at my injured ankle. She removes her hand from my throat, reaching above my head. Her weight holds me in place. "Perhaps I could help you with that"

Her hand remerges with a piece of broken table leg and before I can scream she thrusts the splintered timber down into my thigh. A hand covers my mouth as I cry out and tears flood my eyes. Pain is everywhere, making it even harder to shake her off.

"Don't worry, sweetie. I'm here to help"

"No, please…" My words turn into a scream as she reefs the timber out again. More pain. I don't think I can take any more of this but she's seems intent on dragging my death out. Why won't she just end the games? I'm sick of all the games.

Pearl is saying something about her handy work and about helping me again. She has every intention of stabbing me over and over. I cringe when she says 'sweetie'. It's so close to Haymitch's common endearment. She pulls back for another attack. All I can hope is that this delivers a fatal blow. I squeeze my eyes shut and fist my hands. But they enclose around something forgotten.

Pearl's mouth is moving but she's distracted. Her grip on my hand grows loose. It's all I need. With a cry, I flick the dagger upwards and slice a deep gash across her wrist. She howls, falling away to my side and blood sprays up onto my face.

* * *

The table cloth isn't white anymore. It's stained with both of our bloods. Pearl is crying to my left, desperately trying to staunch the flow from her wrist. She's dropped the piece of timber and I have the same desire to 'help' her. My hands find the edge of the table and slowly lift it off my ankle. A spike of pain has me straight back on the ground again but I need to move.

There's a blur of movement from behind me, though. A groan, following by a loud echoing sound. I roll my head back just in time to see Cato slam Murray against the cornucopia. I'm not sure who's winning but it looks like Cato might have the upper hand. He's bleeding heavily from a cut along his cheek bone but Murray can barely bring his blade up in defence. At least one of us might get out of here.

I know who is winning in my fight against Pearl. And the very obvious winner has finally made it to her feet. She leaves the gash in her wrist uncovered, allowing the blood to drip to the ground. I guess she plans on becoming victor sooner, rather than later.

"You should get that looked at" I choke out, surprising both of us. She gives me a chilling smile.

"I plan to" Pearl says stepping towards the broken table. With one foot holding it in place, she reefs her previous spear free. I begin to scramble backwards and she closes the distance.

"Where are you off too?"

I have to stop myself from screaming out to the only other person that can help me. I glance over at him. He has Murray pinned down, blades crossed above his face. To call for Cato now would only distract him. I can't have that on my conscious. Not after everything he has done for me.

My feet lift off the ground as Pearl drags me up to her height. With her one good hand, she groans and flings me down at the mouth of the cornucopia. I lose my daggers on impact as I land on a plastic box of supplies. It shatters into pieces that dig at my flesh. My attacker looks wobbly as she follows me. Her blood loss seems to be taking affect but not soon enough.

I spin my head around frantically, looking for my only weapons. They're my last hope. Just as Pearl seems to recover with a shake of her head, I spot them a metre behind her. Hope is well out of reach. Death comes soon.

I'm about to let out a sigh of defeat, waiting for the inevitable, when someone beats me to it. They let out a harrowing scream. It echoes in the tiny space but has definitely come from outside it. We both falter. Our eyes remain locked as we both consider what to do. Well, Pearl decides what to do. I couldn't get out of here even if I wanted to.

I decide in that moment, with Pearl gradually moving back outside and her eyes still locked on mine, that perhaps the two eights weren't ever really the bad guys. I would almost suspect she looks fearful for her district partner. I remember her yelling at him, screaming in his face but hadn't I done the very same thing to keep Dany safe? I try to block the thoughts. I don't want to feel sympathy for my murderer. I focus on her taunts. Her smiles and the way she seemed to enjoy every moment of my pain. Bad guy or not, she isn't someone I want to win this.

Pearl's eyes break away for the briefest of moments, glancing around the edge of the cornucopia and back to where Cato had Murray pinned down. She takes a second too long in distinguishing who made the scream. I know exactly which of the pair made that sound.

My ankle almost buckles as I leapt forwards. I'm sure on any other day she would have simply shrugged me off but she's weak from the blood loss, arrogant in her position, that as soon as I slam onto her body, we both topple over. My hands are not my own as the piece of plastic I was holding scratches across her jaw bone. She grabs my wrist the second time and it's scraps across her chest. She cries and I let go of the plastic. I don't need it. With an outstretched hand I fumble over her shaking body and grip the well-known leather handle of one dagger. I make the mistake of looking into her eyes as I sink the blade into her chest. Her cannon fires.

* * *

There's little commotion inside and outside the cornucopia as roll off Pearl's dead body. Blood is everywhere but I don't care to know who exactly it belongs too. I lay there panting and staring up the cool green roof. In the back of my mind I know this isn't over. Two have to die today. But after that I don't want to process it. I just take in the metal roof and the feeling of my own pain. I would be quite content to lie there and forget everything. But the quietness is disturbing. Even the birds have stopped their happy chattering. I roll over onto my stomach and claw into the grass. I begin the painful process of dragging my body out into the daylight. Something isn't right. I know to go out there might be my death but the dream is broken and the cornucopia isn't what is used to be. It's hot in there and my rational side says they need to collect Pearl's body. But that isn't what persuades me to ignore the pain scorching down my body. One cannon. Three tributes left. Why so quiet?

The answer makes the cornucopia seem pleasant. I'm a few metres outside, passing the broken table and tossing a bag labelled two out of my way when I see them. Both are lying on their backs in the sun. Murray is the furthest away but only by a body's length. I can't see much of him but his chest is moving. His blade has been tossed well away, posing no risk. And then my eyes fall onto Cato. He looks just the way I had found him after the tracker jacker attack. Eyes closed, his chest slowly moving up and down but this time he's covered in blood. Unlike before, I don't need to consider my actions.

I do my best to fight the pain as I inch towards him. Slowly but surely I make my way over. He still doesn't move and I pray no cannon fires. The whole way I'm staring at his chest, watching it move up and down. There's a slight pause before Cato shudders and inhales. I'm glad every time he does.

"Cato" I whisper, shaking his leg to no response. I gradually crawl up beside him and place a hand on his chest. It comes away red.

"Hey. Come on" I grip the collar of his shirt, pulling gently. "You don't let this beat you"

I wish I could believe my own words but with him so unresponsive I'm having trouble. I brush away a stray tear that runs down my face because I will not allow myself to think of Cato dying. He can't. He doesn't. If one person in these games was supposed to be a certain victor it was him. I glance over at Murray, knowing that if he dies Cato and I would win. I've never wanted another person to die so bad. If I wasn't covered completely in blood before I certainly am now. I carefully lift myself around and over Cato's legs to get to his other side. His injuries are further up, a slash across his chest, an opening nearest his stomach but I can't tell their extent. The blood is my only indicator and it doesn't look good. I pull myself up to him and begin to pry the sword away from his hand.

"What are you going to do with that?" I flinch back in shock at his voice, raspy and out of breath. If it wasn't for those blue eyes opening I would have dismissed it. He's give me a smile but it quickly disappears as he realises the answer to his own question. I smile back and place a hand on the side of his face.

"I'm ending this" I whisper as his grip on the sword weakens.

It's heavy but I manage to drag it over to Murray. This time I don't look into his eyes. I grip the blade strongly and look away to the tree line. Past the platforms and into the forest I've spent the last two weeks. Its beauty is deceptive. Unforgiving. And to stay any longer in this place would kill everything about me. But then again it already has. The blade slides forward and a cannon fires almost immediately. For the second time today I roll over till I'm staring up at the sky.

'_Ladies and Gentleman, I am pleased to present the victors of the seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games, Ira Manning and Cato Ludwig!'_

I am a victor. I survived and now everyone will remember me. Games over... or so I thought.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: The Odds of the Game

"I don't understand, Haymitch" I say quietly to my unshaved mentor. His hands reach up to grip my shoulders tightly.

"I know you've been through a lot but you have to try, sweetheart" He flips his hair out of his eyes and glances back at the stage. I see my face displayed on the giant screens and the crowd erupts. The number six swirls around the bottom before my face is merged into Cato's. Another cheer sounds as the sick feeling returns to my stomach.

"What's going on? I get off the hovercraft and pushed straight into medical. I don't see a single person for days. No Effie. No Petunia. No…" I pause and look at the stage. Cato's image is strong and dominant as he poses with a sword. It makes me more confused than ever. "Hell, this is the first time I've even seen you"

"And I'll explain the rest later. But for now you have to listen to me. Don't mention Dany, don't mention that little girl and whatever you do, when Caesar brings up the rule change, you say how grateful you are"

"Ofcourse I'm grateful" I whisper through my teeth as a stage person rushes past announcing five minutes. I pull at the hem of my dress. It's light blue with a fluffy trim. Absent Petunia's usual touch.

"No, sweetheart. You are _very_ grateful" Haymitch lingers on the word 'very' I little longer than I like. He gives me a firm slap on the back before leaving to join the audience. I wish he would just tell me what's been happening, why they haven't let anyone see me but I know it's a conversation for behind closed doors. God knows, I've seen a lot of those lately.

I barely remember the trip from the arena into the capitol. They knocked me out shortly after they took Cato away. His injuries were a lot worse than mine so I didn't question it. I didn't question a lot of things. I remember being in a wheelchair and then I was waking up in a plain white room that smelled like fresh paint. My body was completely restored. No scars, no bruising and even more frightening is the fact that I couldn't remember how I got there.

A few people with white coats came in for quick visits, medical check-ups. I had asked to see someone, anyone but they said it wasn't possible. I never thought I would wish for Effie's constant up beat chatter, Haymitch's drunken murmurs or even Petunia's fussing. I missed all of them. One person more than the others.

The darkened side stage empties quickly and I'm left playing with the frills on my dress. Caesar Flickerman stands a few metres away with an assistant powdering his face. He gives me a small smile, which I didn't think was possible, and then turns back to the stage. The music begins.

The crowd roars as the host strides out to greet them. Everyone is smiles and laughter, the complete opposite of how I'm feeling. The dress, the noise, it all becomes a little too much and I begin to edge away from the bright lights. It's hard to believe I was here only two weeks ago. It's hard to believe that I'm feeling a lot worse than I did then. I hear the sound of footsteps clipping against the polished floors. They come to a stop beside me. I don't need to look to know who it is.

"You look nice" The first words he's spoken to me in days sound forced. I glance over at him. He's in the metallic suit again, something of a trademark. His blonde hair has been spiked up and he looks just as he was prior to the games. It's strange to think of him as that person. I quickly look away when I notice the man standing behind him. His glare is a constant reminder that all is not what it should be.

* * *

_**The Hovercraft (Two days to interview)**_

"On three. One. Two. Three" Cato lets out a painful groan as they transfer his body onto another bed. The pain seems to awaken him and he thrashes violently for minute. His movements set off a series of alarms and a swarm of white coats rush into room. They begin frantically attaching the tubes that Cato has pulled off and screaming instructions at each other. I hear something about his blood, he's lost to much and it causes another set of alarms. I lose sight of him in a sea of white.

"Where are you taking him?" They must have forgotten about me. They're not used to dealing with more than one victor. As soon as the words leave my mouth hands begin to grab at my shoulders. I try to shrug them away but my leg gives out and I crumple to the floor. I try to scramble away from the hands but they keep coming back. This time there are more of them. The floor becomes slippery with my own blood. It smears across one of the white coats and then suddenly I'm back. The arena closes in around me, Pearl is back and sinking the splintered piece of timber into my flesh. My blood soaks into the white table cloth.

"No! No!" I scream at Pearl but she doesn't let go. I'm too weak to fight her off and every scream only encourages her.

"Calm down. Ira, you are alright. We're here to help you"

"No you're not! Please let go, please!"

"Double the dose. We need her out now" Someone yells and I'm surrounded by the white coats. Pearl is gone but I can still feel her presence. I can still see the joy in her eyes. A hand reefs my head to the side and I feel a sharp jab in the side of my neck. Within seconds I lose control of my arms, my legs are next and then finally I slump forward into the. I'm surrounded by the darkness.

* * *

_**Medical Bay Unit 2# (One day to interview)**_

"Your being moved" The golden haired attendant states as he's watching paint dry. I assume he's expecting to be assaulted with my usual round of questions. Why have I been here so long? Why am I here at all? Can I see my mentor? Is Cato alright? He's surprised when I simply stare at him with a tired expression. Sleep hasn't exactly come easy.

"Why?"

"Corridor B. Last room on the left. An avox will escort you" I could almost laugh at his last sentence. An avox and at least two peacekeepers will escort me. Just another one of things that doesn't make sense here.

The avox is waiting outside the door as always. I've become accustomed to her. She's always the one delivering my food and medication. I follow her down yet another white hallway, past the small sign marked unit two and towards the tiny nurses' bay. It sits in the centre of a three way split, making the hallways seem endless. I wouldn't know which way to run if I tried.

"Over here. You know the drill" The lady I've labelled Birdbrains squawks at me. She resembles some type of fancy parrot, a capitol pet. Her is skin is pale, much more than mine, like it's been dyed that way. Her rainbow hair looks like someone has stuck a bunch of feathers to her head with super glue. And she's supposed to be a nurse. Before I can give a response, Birdbrains grabs my hand and my wrist is waved under a blue light. There's a small beep and she tapes something onto a screen. The routine is always the same. Avox escorts, Birdbrains scans and then I'm promptly rushed into another room for some type of detox or recovery. Personally, I feel this is just a ploy to keep me here longer.

"Move along" says Birdbrains and a peacekeeper gives me a shove towards my destination. I have trouble believing all victors are treated like this. They're respected, valued. Here I feel like I'm a disease. I wonder if Cato is experiencing the same. Where ever he is.

"I'll take it from here, boys"

I spin around to a man I've never met before but instantly dislike. He's the last person I expected to see but from what Haymitch told me he isn't one to let anything get in his road. If he's down here so must Cato.

"Ira Manning" Brutus says as if he's trying the name out, testing it on his tongue. I can't control a shudder that runs down my spine. He's a lot more imposing in person and I know from his little note that I'm not his favourite person in the world.

"Brutus. What are you doing down here?"

"Just come to check up on my little history maker. See how you're holding up"

"I'm fine. Why are they allowing you to see me?"

"I'm a mentor"

"And so is Haymitch but they haven't let him in" He laughs then, a long bone chilling sound that echoes. He closes the distance between us and I feel the cold steel of a door pressed into my back.

"Did I mention that I'm a _good_ mentor? I bet your one is passed out somewhere, drunk like always. Strange how the most undeserving of people become victors."

"And yet here you are" His face scrunches in anger. He didn't like that at all. Brutus leans in until I can feel his hot breath on my neck.

"You should not be here, Ira Manning. You are an exception and you would do well to remember that. Cato trained for this, lived for this. He was supposed to win for his district"

"He did. He's a victor" I say softly, having lost my nerve. Brutus chuckles and steps away.

"All he'll ever be is the runner up to some district six scum. Cato is a joke. And now because of the pair of you, I look like a joke"

I should scream at him. I want to scream at him but I'm not sure I could find the words. I fidget nervously with the bottom of my hospital gown because I can't bear to look at him.

"Brutus" My head shoots up at the familiar voice. His voice. It takes me a moment to take him in and realise that it is actually Cato standing at the end of the hall.

"Cato?" I frown when he doesn't come any closer. He doesn't even look me in the eye. Brutus makes the first move, breaking the awkward silence and moving over to Cato. The two exchange a few quiet words and Cato glances back at me. With one last look, he turns and disappears down the hall. I don't know what hurts more. Brutus' words or the fact Cato has undoubtedly been listening to them.

Brutus' form stalks down the hallway but not before he calls out to me one last time.

"Don't think the odds will always be in your favour, Ira Manning"

* * *

_**Present Day-The Interview**_

"So should we call them out here?" The audience cheers in response to Caesar's question, causing him to laugh. "They are your victors of the seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games. They are Cato and Ira!"

"After you" Cato says but I'm already a step ahead of him. He's been ignoring me and if that's how he wants to play it I am more than willing. He wasn't the one who had to fight Pearl and he certainly did not have to kill a defenceless Murray. I am no exception.

"Don't they look lovely?" Caesar gives me a quick kiss on the cheek before taking my hand and leading me over to the larger of two chairs. I sit down, nearest the edge as he and Cato shake hands. The chair dips beside me.

"Well I can't tell you how excited I am. Not one but two victors! Who was expecting that?" Another round of cheers that Caesar struggles to contain.

"Alright, alright. Now as shocking as that was, I have to say I was a little more distracted by the two you. Kisses and all" he says the last bit with a suggestive tone and a raise of the eyebrows.

I stare out at the sea of colours, trying to find Haymitch or the others but it is near impossible. I needed more time to prepare for this. The chair moves and my attention is quickly drawn back to Cato. He slides closer until our knees are touching. I struggle to contain the spike in my heart rate. After all he is still the person who had kissed me all those nights ago.

"You weren't the only one distracted" Cato says with a smirk and slides his hand over mine. Right, Haymitch said to show them how grateful I am.

"Ira, tell us what was going through your mind when you found Cato"

"Well I was a little hesitant at first" Caesar makes a gesture to the audience as if he's throwing imaginary rocks at them. The same method I had used to check on Cato.

"But he grew on you?"

"He most certainly did" I smile over at the person in question.

"And Cato, I think we all remember your reaction" Caesar fake chokes himself to more applause. "Was there a moment when you realised this girl was something special?"

"Do I have to pick one?" The audience start to scream out their favourite moments. Cato smiles before continuing, "I didn't allow myself to think about that but after the announcement, when we could both win, I think I realised how much I cared for her"

I swallow at how sincere he sounds. But I know he's just playing this up for the interview. He's probably been given the same instructions by his mentor or perhaps he was given the full story. If he really did care he wouldn't have ignored me in the hallway. He would have said something instead of leaving me with Brutus.

"And of course we are so grateful for being given this time" I say and my eyes meet the dazzlingly blue of Cato's. Before I know what's happening he leans over. It's the second time Cato has ever kissed me. I feel the butterflies rise up in my stomach, that warm feeling that takes over. It's only a brief kiss on the lips, absent the desperation of our last, but it's all it takes to remind me of our time in the arena. Butterflies are quickly replaced with a sick feeling.

The audience is in hysterics when we pull apart. I begin to slide my hand out from under his but his fingers clench down between mine.

"Well it's now time for my favourite part of the night. Were we are given the chance to relive the greatness of these year's annual Hunger Games."

The capitol's anthem echoes across the room and my eyes are immediately attracted to one of the giant screens off the stage. I had forgotten about this part. As the black screen is replaced with a shot of the cornucopia I'm suddenly grateful for Cato's hand in mine. It's just enough to keep me sitting in my chair and not bolting across the stage. I don't think that would exactly help the cause, whatever it is.

The highlights open on the cornucopia as the countdown hits ten seconds. They give us a quick run through of the tributes before the gong sounds. The clips focus on myself and Cato before panning out to the others. I'm grabbing Dany and dragging him further into the forest while Cato cuts down his third tribute. The careers seem very organised in their attack, trapping another tribute that has ventured inside to get supplies.

I shift uncomfortably, when the wolves make their appearance. The scene flicks between me, Dany, Thresh and finally Foxface as she's dragged into the undergrowth. The careers quickly scale the cornucopia like I had thought and keep the wolves distracted for a while. During the commotion, they show the district twelve boy running through the forest. I'm not sure why they focus on him until the camera pulls back. The boy is being chased by another tribute. It takes him a few seconds to reach the edge of the cliff. I grimace, as he glances behind him. He runs straight off the edge.

We're given a quick flash of the dead tributes before I'm looking at a rather annoyed version of myself.

"Just get in the tree" I say and hold my hand out to my district partner. It's the first time I get a decent look at Dany. It's strange after all this time of pushing these images away. I had the games to think about. I couldn't focus on his death then but now it's a different story. I feel my eyes begin to well up when Cato gives my hand a squeeze. He's staring at me intently and I admit it's a struggle to turn away. But there's something a lot more interesting on the screen.

Pearl and Murray make their first move. I'm surprised how efficient they are as they sneak up on a group of three tributes. Pearl launches forward and they scatter. The pair makes chase after one of the girls. The other heads back towards the cornucopia and is promptly killed by the career's hunting party. The third tribute, a boy from nine, is injured but manages to hobble away. That is before he collapses against a tree. They flick to my face as the wolves close in.

The rest of the highlights focus on Cato and I. He's back at the camp while I'm chasing after Dany towards the waterfall. Pearl and Murray get more confident in their kills and in the morning they attack the careers. I knew Cato had been stung by tracker jackers but I would have never had guessed it had been a deliberate attack. The tracker jacker nest lands beside Glimmer's tent. She's the first of them to react, screaming and running outside. I think she may have been safer in the tent. Marvel stumbles, dropping his spear. He stops a metre from the forest before thinking better of it. He runs back to get it. I wish he hadn't. Clove is next, getting stung multiple times before diving under a rotting tree trunk. And then they show Cato.

I tune out for the rest of the footage. Dany dies and I quickly look away. The highlights have people laughing and crying. The monkey, the cave and my midnight adventure into the forest.

"Uh oh" Caesar chuckles and I suddenly become very interested in Cato's expressions.

He's good at keeping his emotions in check. Especially when I'm on screen begging him not to leave the cave. It's safe to say he knows why now. He saves me multiple times and I keep lying to him. The announcement comes and the lies suddenly stop. Well, mine do.

I'm expecting to see my guilty outburst, Cato flipping out when I tell him about Clove but I find myself instead watching Clove and Thresh locked in battle. They skipped right through it. My eyes widen in shock and for that brief second I think my heart might stop. They don't want us to see it. The capitol clearly wasn't impressed with what I had done and rather than show it, it's been deleted. Cato must recognise it as well because the grip on my hand has just gotten a lot tighter. What is Haymitch not telling me?

* * *

_A/N_: Hope that wasn't too confusing but I'll hopefully fix that next chapter. Once again thankyou to my lovely reviewers and readers!


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Control

If the audience wasn't going wild already, it is now. Cato and I leave the stage hand in hand, waving and smiling at the people who put us in this position. Caesar is thanking everyone for showing their support and promises to see them all back for next year's quarter quell.

The side stage quickly fills with assistants and other members of the crew. I try desperately to spot Haymitch. He has a lot of explaining to do. Cato's grip on my hand is hard and despite trying to resist he doesn't let go. I'm dragged through a sea coloured outfits and hair, barely managing to keep upright on my heels. In the excitement, we're surprisingly overlooked. No one approaches us, nor do I see the usual group of women screaming over Cato. Perhaps our outfits aren't that extraordinary.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Haymitch. He has his back turned to me, glass of whiskey in hand, but the startling thing is who he's conversing with. Brutus. Does he even know he's talking to the enemy? Having every intention of informing him, I pull against Cato's steel grip, heading towards the two mentors. I get two steps before arms wrap around my waist and I'm thrown over someone's shoulder.

"Cato. What are you doing?!"

"Preventing you from doing something very stupid" He says calmly as he walks us around the corner and into an open elevator. I don't miss the 'again' that he whispers into my ear.

"Let go of me" My feet hit the ground no sooner than the elevator doors slide closed. Cato hits a random button before looking back. He doesn't seem as calm as he was at the interview.

"Let me out"

"No"

"Let me out, Cato!" Not only am I extremely annoyed at being taken away from my mentor but all these mind games are starting to give me a headache. I gingerly rub my temple. "I have to speak to Haymitch"

"You can't"

"And why can't I do that?" I place my hands on my hips to show at least the slightest bit of resilience. Next to Cato I just look like a very pissed off Effie.

"Brutus is down there. Haymitch doesn't want you near him" Cato steps closer until he's towering over me. This would normally scare me to no end but there's something in his eyes that tell me I'm safe. "I don't want you near him"

"It hasn't stopped you before" I whisper, remembering the look he gave me in the hallway. How he left me with his mentor without so much as blinking an eye lid. I duck underneath his arms so I'm closest the doors.

"I'm sorry but I had too"

"Oh I remember, because I'm some district six scum that stole your chance of becoming a sole victor. I saw that note he sent you in the arena. 'Ditch the girl'. I'm sorry Cato but it's a little too late for that"

"Would you just listen to me? _Haymitch said_ he didn't want you near him" The elevator pings again and I hear the doors slide open. The frills of my dress begin to flutter in wind but I'm a little too stunned to notice.

"You've been talking to Haymitch?"

"Come with me"

I don't resist as Cato strides forward, enclosing my hand with his. I'm at a loss for words to even refuse. I haven't even had the time to see Haymitch, let alone talk to him, and yet apparently he's had all the time in world for Cato. I begin to think of all the curse words I know, and how I'll enjoy screaming them at my older mentor. I'm his tribute. He's supposed to be looking after me. Not consorting with…

The words in my head die down, evaporate and float away in the wind. God knows, at that moment I could very easily do the same. Cato steps aside to reveal the only thing in the capitol that could possibly resemble peace and yet I've never been up here before.

The rooftop is silent, except for the rustling of leaves and the quiet chanting of people on the streets below. The capitol skyline is visible and casts a soft glow across the roof. It breaks through the potted trees at random points, creating a floor of dancing shadows. It's breathtaking.

"The wind scrambles the electrical signals up here. It makes broadcasting almost impossible" Cato's back is to the skyline as he leans against the rail.

"They can't hear us?"

"No. They can't" He says softly and I walk over to join him. I can feel his eyes on me but I choose to look down at streets below. I'm not foolish enough to believe Snow doesn't monitor tributes but how could Cato possibly know where his blind spots are? He answers the question before I have to ask.

"Haymitch told me. You know he's not so bad when he's sober. A little aggressive but not bad"

"When did you see him?"

"I could smell him before I saw him", Cato chuckles and I find myself smiling as well, "He was there when I woke up from surgery. We only talked for a few minutes before he had to leave"

I can't help but feel betrayed by my mentor. He only had a few minutes and he spent them talking to Cato. I was a few rooms away the whole time, and he couldn't even give me a second.

"He was on his way to see you when the peacekeepers came in. He wanted to see you"

"Then why didn't he? He's my mentor yet he spends his time talking to the enemy while I'm left alone with nothing but thoughts. Nothing but images of the arena"

"So I'm the enemy now?" I can't think properly with him looking at me in that way. I begin to walk towards the elevator but his hands grab onto my shoulders, spinning me around. I'm forced to face him.

"Brutus said…"

"Brutus is nothing but a pawn for the capitol. Don't you see, Ira? He's a part of it!" I pause at Cato's words and hold back the urge to scream at him. No, I don't see. No, I don't know that he's a pawn for Snow because I don't know anything.

"A part of what?"

* * *

_**President Snow's Garden**_

The garden was immaculate. Every single rose identical to the next and all in the same ghostly shade of white. The place was silent and absent the small chirping of crickets which accompanied nightfall. There was nothing but the sound of a single pair of shears snipping away at old growth. Snow wouldn't allow any type of pest into his sanctuary. He had too much control for that.

"You were lucky" He turns back to his head Gamemaker. Seneca Crane's usual smirk falters. He had bragged about having a private audience with the president but he wasn't expecting this.

"The odds were in my favour. I'll agree"

"And if they weren't?" Snow snips off a blossomed rose in annoyance. It was stained with a fleck of yellow. "I don't like leaving things up to chance, Seneca. It allows for problems. I don't have time for problems"

"Do we have a problem?" Seneca says and swallows nervously as Snow crushes the fallen flower beneath his feet.

"We have two victors. One of which could have been"

"They won like we intended, stopped the rioting and the capitol loves them. Where's the problem in that?"

"The problem, Seneca, is that for the briefest of moments that girl had control. Because of your mistake, she had control over you, over the games and essentially over me"

"I'm not sure I follow"

"What would have happened if the boy had speared her, right then and there? She tells him of her lies and he pushes a blade into her chest. Or perhaps they simply drift apart and someone else kills off our star crossed lovers. The audience would despise us and the rioting would continue"

Seneca becomes uneasy as his mind swirls around the endless possibilities. He knew the girl had showed up his plan but the pair won in the end. Problem solved. Snow steps closer, making eye contact with him for the first time that night.

"I was sure they would last until the end"

"But it wasn't certain, was it? Whether that girl knows it or not, her little confession had the potential to ruin everything I've worked for. You gave her control", Snow is now inches from Seneca's face. The young Gamemaker can see the blisters on the inside of his lips. A constant reminder of how much he worked for that control, "And I want it back"

* * *

_**Ira POV**_

"That's insane!" I have trouble believing anything Cato is saying to me at the moment. I begin pacing back and forth across the rooftop, trying to process it all. I think I may have been better not knowing.

"You're talking about people who force kids into an arena to fight to the death. I think insanity is very likely"

"I didn't want any of this. I told you about Clove because it was the right thing to do. It wasn't some crazy plan to show up Snow"

Must take deep breaths. All I can focus on is taking deep breaths.

"But you did. You made Seneca Crane look like an idiot. That announcement was designed for us and you pretty much spat in their faces"

It's safe to say at this point all traces of my headache have disappeared. It's replaced with a feeling of utter dread and a swirling sensation that leaves me rather dizzy. I stop pacing and Cato quickly walks us over to bench seat. I slump back against the cold wall and stare across at the capitol lights. They don't seem so spectacular anymore.

"What's this got to do with Brutus?"

"He promotes the games back in two. He's just another person linked to it all" I feel Cato's hand slip up, cupping the side of my face. It's hard not to automatically lean into it. He looks me deep in the eyes, "I'm not"

His hand is somewhat of a comfort despite everything he's said tonight. It helps clear the fog, the mess, until all I can think about is the warmth from his hand and how safe it makes me feel. I believe him.

"We should head inside" I murmur as a particularly strong gust of wind hits my bare shoulders.

Cato removes his hand from my face, leaving it instantly cold, and grasps tightly onto my hand. We walk back into the elevator and I'm immediately surrounded by the pleasant warmth. I don't know whether it's because he's had time to think about it or whether he's just better at keeping a lid on his emotions but Cato is calm as the elevator drops to my floor. I can't be held in the same regard. But then again, he's not the person they've set their sights on.

"You not going to go easy on him, are you?" Cato asks with his usual smirk and I don't have to guess twice to know who he's talking about. I simply give him a small smile in reply as we reach my floor.

"I'll see you tomorrow"

"At the victor's ball" He tells me as the doors shut and I'm left standing there, contemplating my first meeting with President Snow.

"Ah! Sweetheart! I wondered where you had gotten too" Haymitch greets me with a strangely happy tone. I turn around to see him struggling up from his position on the lounge. "Care to join me for a walk? I hear the roof has some splendid views"

I scowl and walk straight past him.

"Already been" I say, reaching my door, "Your right. They are quite splendid"

"Only the best, sweetheart"

* * *

_A/N_: Hello! As to whether I'm finishing this soon, I'm going get a few more chapters out of this one before I start on a sequel if anyone's interested.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: The President and his Puppets

"Well see, there's the problem. Training makes you lot think you're invincible"

"It also makes us harder to kill!"

I can practically hear the male testosterone from my bathroom. I should have known better than to leave Cato and a somewhat drunken Haymitch in the same room together. I smile into the mirror. A little longer won't hurt them.

"It makes you arrogant. And arrogance will get you killed"

"Then explain how we manage to win almost every single year"

The pair continues to argue while I unsuccessfully try to pin up my hair. Tonight I am most definitely noticing Petunia's absence. In fact, I'm starting to miss Effie as well. Another thing I add to the list of unexplained occurrences. The disappearance of the capitol puppets.

"Luck?" Cato's stunned voice travels down the hallway as I pull back from the mirror. I can't handle this at all. In under a hour I have to face President Snow and instead of coming up with the best words to say I'm on his side, I'm worrying about missing escorts and a strong possibility of two victors killing each other in my lounge room.

"Yes, luck. The whole games are about luck. Surely you would know that"

I groan. Haymitch has done it now. It's safe to say Cato won't be pleased with a drunken old man insulting his abilities. As quick as I can, with feet balancing on nothing but toothpick heels, I gather up the hem of my disgustingly lilac dress and make a run for it. I can imagine the scene, Haymitch waving a broken bottle as Cato uses a table leg as a makeshift sword.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Cato grumbles.

"It means… Sweetheart!" My mentor spots me as I slide around the corner.

He's standing over his well-stocked shelf of liquor like he's guarding a baby. A glass is already in hand and a tie hangs undone around his neck. I let out of sign of relief. Cato is standing with his back to me in a black suit and thankfully doesn't have a table leg up to my mentor's throat. He turns to face me and I see the top few buttons of his undershirt have been left undone. I look at the ground and try to focus on being angry at them not the amount of skin on display.

"Am I the only one taking tonight seriously or have you two been on the morphling?

"The boy and I were just discussing the _cons_ of pre-game training" Haymitch waves his glass in the direction of Cato before staggering sidewards towards the door.

"Discussing?!"

A beaming smile tells me he was just enjoying reeving Cato up.

"The cars are waiting downstairs. Enjoy the night, victors"

"No, Haymitch? I need to talk to you. Where's…" The door slams in my face with a bang and I end up making some strange sound in annoyance. It's like he's deliberately leaving me in the dark. Nobody tells me anything.

"Is your prep team still here?" I suddenly spin back to Cato who's looking rather amused at my outburst or as he would put it, a psychotic meltdown.

"All twelve of them"

"Twelve?" He has twelve members on his prep team.

"You can have them if you like" He smirks, heading towards the door. "It's not like I need them"

Shock is replaced with more frustration.

"Not what I meant"

* * *

The sky is verging on nightfall when the cars pull up outside Seneca Crane's mansion. The cars in front of us unload, one by one, as Cato and I sit in a comfortable silence. Thankfully Haymitch is not in our car.

I hear the crowd scream out even louder as another victor emerges. This time it's Brutus encouraging the sea of onlookers. He poses for a few cameras, chuckling as they fight to get closer. He's dressed in a pretty basic suit, similar to Cato's, the skinny blonde on his arm acts as his only accessory. Clove's mentor, Enobaria, follows shortly after him but is more reserved in her actions. The skin tight black number hugs her figure before falling away at her feet. She resembles an elegant movie star, indifferent to the crowd's calls. Someone who has been doing this for years.

Haymitch is up next. The shouts of the crowd lessen but they still seem rather fond of him. Through the gap in my window, I can hear the laughter as he stumbles up the main stairs. I feel Cato shift on the seat next to me. He reaches over, secures my hand and I know we're next. Not even the warmth of his hold can calm my nerves. It's now or never. I have to show Snow I'm on his side.

"I bet he doesn't even live here" Cato leans over to stare out at Seneca Crane's mansion. An attendant moves up beside the car.

"Not anymore" I murmur but Cato doesn't hear me. As the door pulls back, we're hit with a sudden onslaught of noise so loud I can't hear myself think, let alone talk.

My name. All I can hear is them chanting my name. It morphs into Cato's before it quickly becomes a bunch of unrecognisable calls. Cato is sliding off the seat and I can do nothing but follow. There's a bright flash of a camera from my left, followed by more and more. A camera goes off by my right shoulder and I make the mistake of looking directly at it. How does Haymitch possibly handle this? And drunk? I cling onto Cato's hand for dear life as he directs us into the mansion.

"Enjoying yourself yet?" Haymitch wraps an arm around my shoulder as the attendants slide the main doors closed behind us. The screams are barely background noise once inside. It allows me to recover and take a glance around the room. "Not a tribute anymore, sweetheart"

And in that instant I realise I most certainly am not. I hope Cato is noticing this too. I blink a few times but the scene doesn't change. Almost every single victor and mentor has their eyes locked on us with expressions I wouldn't care to interpret. Out of all of them I notice Brutus' glare the most.

* * *

When we enter the ballroom my eyes find him immediately. It's a little hard not to. President Snow sits on a large plush chair, towards the back of the room. With an air of authority, he has one pale hand tucked under his chin as he scans the room. Our eyes meet for the briefest of moments before he whips them away. It's enough for the ill feeling in my stomach to grow immensely. Snow sits at the head of a table of distinguished guests. Seneca Crane on his left, a few other Gamemakers and further down are the head sponsors. In particular, I notice one larger man in a bright purple suit. He gives me a slight nod. It's strange because I've never seen him before in my life.

"They want us to go talk to him" I flinch almost forgetting Cato was at my side. He nods in the direction of Snow.

"Now?"

"Now" He confirms but I shake my head.

"I don't think I can"

"I'm not going anywhere. Besides what's the worst that can happen. He poisons our food?" Cato laughs but I don't find his joke at all funny. Everyone knows that's his preferred method of getting rid of problems. All those officials dropping dead after dinner parties, it had to be him. I curse Cato, never will I be able to enjoy my food again.

"Thanks. You're really helping" I add sarcastically as we move over.

"Good evening victors. Ira. Cato" President Snow barely turns to acknowledge us like he knew we were coming. Eyes in the back of his head, definitely. Cato says his greeting and I merely nod. I've suddenly lost any sense of courage I had. Best to let the favourable district two career do the talking. Snow remains sitting as he asks us if we're enjoying the capitol. No, I want to leave as soon as possible. Cato responds that we never want to leave. The conversation is brief with little reference to what has happening. Not once does he mention the fact that there are two victors nor does he congratulate us. The whole time I try to keep my face emotionless but all I can smell is the overpowering scent of roses. I glance down at the small white bud pinned to his lapel. Capitol engineered, no doubt.

"Quite beautiful aren't they?" I quickly find Snow' s eyes. He's caught me staring.

"Yes. I've always been fond of roses" No I haven't. We don't have them in district six.

"It's tragic, how something so extraordinary can be destroyed by the slightest change"

"Extremely tragic" Seneca Crane appears out of nowhere on the other side of the table. One hand with a sloshing glass of red wine. It's the first time I've seen him seen the Gamemaker's ball and his smile is still as unnerving as ever. Surely if I were him I would be doing everything in my power to stay out of Snow's way.

"Seneca" Snow says with a tone of boredom, "I believe you have already had the pleasure of meeting our victors"

"I have. Ira, looking lovely as always" That man has disturbingly creepy stare.

"Cato, congratulations. I was just speaking with…"

"Seneca? Your glass is looking a little empty" I watch as Snow rolls his eyes up the younger man, "Perhaps a refill?"

Seneca Crane is looks at him slightly stunned for being so easily dismissed. In that moment, his face resembles a little boy being told off by the school principal. I try to hold back a laugh but a small smile manages to break through. Seneca's creepy stare turns sour.

"Please enjoy the night, victors" President Snow is quick and sharp in our signal to leave. Cato, always playing the game, begins to lead us away but I'm suddenly very interested in our head Gamemaker who's looking rather ill. His glass of wine was completely full.

* * *

By the time we finish with Snow, which I personally think didn't help our cause at all, most of the other victors are already seated. We make our way past a few that linger on the dance floor in conversations. They slap each other on the back, smile and laugh at anything and everything. I wonder how many of them are already drunk. The ball room is extravagant as always, with a band playing in the background. It looks almost identical to when we attended the Gamemakers' ball, but someone has changed the wallpaper. The entire room is a deep burgundy, with golden details to match. Haymitch comes to our side and directs us towards the round table nearest the floor. The one I was really hoping to avoid. Cato takes a spare seat next to Enobaria leaving room for me on the other side. I stare at their strange interactions as they talk like old friends. Most of the victors seem to know each other in some way. Enobaria smiles at me as I sit down. Her famous razor sharp fangs slide over her bottom lip causing me to shiver.

"They like to keep us all together" whispers Haymitch and I know what he means. There are another four spare seats at the table. Brutus and his blonde Barbie doll take up two of them. I feel Cato tense up from beside me. I don't know why, he didn't get threatened by the brute.

"Chaff! Good to see you old friend" Haymitch says and jumps up to shake hands with an older man with one arm. A genuine smile passes his lips as two victors join us. The second man steps forward. He, I recognise instantly.

"Finnick. Almost didn't make it past your groupies" The one and only Finnick Odair rolls his head back in laughter. I really couldn't tell if that was genuine or not.

"Your lot are the ones to watch out for. So these are our game changers"

Of course, I know who Finnick Odair is. You would have to live under a rock not to. I had seen him on television for years and Effie hadn't stopped raving on about him after he was on the cover of that magazine. A strategically placed trident and not much else.

"I... Ira" I introduce myself in an abnormally soft voice. I cringe, hoping I really didn't sound that way. What is wrong with me?

"Ah, the gorgeous Ira. I was looking forward to meeting you the most" Finnick replies in a voice that should only be heard in moments of absolute privacy and I blush. He takes my hand and presses a light kiss on my knuckles before flashing pearly white teeth. I may not know what I'm doing but I'm suddenly very aware of what he's doing.

"Cato" I regain my hand as Cato interrupts. His voice is strong and domineering, nothing like the one Finnick just used. They shake hands but in a way less friendly than Haymitch's. Finnick sits down across from us and starts to laugh.

"Warning noted"

It's surprisingly very polite from then on. For people who are experienced killers, everyone is very civil. The dinner is served without delay and I remember to stay away from the blue pasta dish. We eat in silence and then afterwards everyone falls into their own conversations. I find myself talking about district eleven with Chaff. He seems delighted to go into detail about the farm he purchased and how he plans to buy a new goat. I don't have much to add on the topic so I let him talk. Haymitch, now that his mentoring is over, is drinking more than he should and occasionally slurs something about his time in eleven. He reminds me of the imposing victory tour.

"So you see all I have to do is buy another acre and I'll be set" Chaff finishes with a smile. I smile back.

"He's not boring you with talk of his farm, is he Ira?" Finnick adds loudly from across the table. I'm even more uncomfortable when he follows the interruption with a wink, "If you ask me the capitol is where all the action is at"

Brutus is quick to jump at the chance to add to his comments. I knew tonight was too good to be true.

"Finnick, she's from six. Capitol wouldn't have her" I look down at the dessert being placed in front of me. I'm not fond of cheesecake. Especially the bright green variety.

"I'm sure we could find a place for her" Another wink comes from the ladies' man.

"Back in the games"

"Brutus" I hear Cato warn him with a deadly calm voice.

"Couldn't even kill someone while they were sleeping"

With a loud crash, that startles everyone, Cato slams his fist down onto the table. It sends a fork flying and the table shakes violently under the pressure. I flinch away, not expecting that at all and my chair knocks over a waiter behind me. Luckily, he has a tight grip on his tray and merely throws a few insults my way. The glassware is still chinking as a shocked Haymitch falls off his chair. The rest of table stares. Well, most of them.

"Best dinner ever" Finnick laughs and leans back in his chair clapping. Cato's fist moves off the table but his shoulders remain tense. I glance over at him with wide eyes. I knew what he did was in my defence but I can't hide the fact it scared me a little.

"I need some air" I say quickly and quietly.

"Do you want me to come?" He asks.

"No. Someone needs to make sure Haymitch doesn't pass out" I lie to him and he knows it. I can see it in his face. It's not Cato's fault at all, I just need some time to clear my head without being stared at like I'm a piece of meat. I don't tell him that though.

"There's a side balcony out through those doors. You sure?"

"Yes"

Sliding my chair out, I make my way over to a pair of glass French style doors. I've regained a normal heart rate in the short walk but I still feel uncomfortable. I feel guilty for not taking Cato with me but there's something else, like someone's eyes are burning into the back of my head. I briefly glance back at the table to find Brutus laughing again, this time at something Finnick says. Chaff is pulling Haymitch back into an upright position. And Enobaria appears to be calming Cato feeling still remains.

Everyone in the room is either caught up in conversations or too drunk to notice my hurried exit. I quickly reach the doors and fly out into an empty hallway. It resembles the rest of the mansion. Burgundy walls, tapestries sewn in gold and a few pillars holding various vases. It's still too claustrophobic so I seek out the balcony.

* * *

A cold air rushes past my face as I step out into the dark surrounds. It's an instant relief but removes little of that strange feeling. I take a deep breath and try to relax against a wall. The band starts playing in the main room but it's merely a dull rumble out here. The crickets are a pleasant distraction and I'm happy to hear a few croaking frogs from the garden. It's like this in district six. Quiet, peaceful when the sun falls. I slip off my heels and let my eyes fall shut. I'm at home.

"Ira Manning" The balcony doors previously left open creak closed causing the frogs to fall silent. I hear unsteady breaths and slow footsteps.

"Ira Manning" He's followed me. My heart almost stops in fear. I'm not at home. I'm trapped. My eyes fly open as I think of Brutus approaching me in the dark. I'm stunned when I don't meet his eyes but another man who has it out for me. I look into his cold, emotionless stare.

I remember the way Seneca Crane had looked at me at the 'Gamemakers Ball'. It was a deep searching glare that lingered a little too long than I'd liked. He's looking at me in the exact same way.

"Ira Manning. Ira Manning. Ira Manning" Seneca steps out of the shadows, closer and closer, always repeating my name. I can see clearly now as the light shines over from the next balcony. His steps are unsteady and he appears to be leaning forward in a fit of giggles. What is...? I'm suddenly very cautious of this man. Not only is he the person I have accidentally showed up twice now but he's also extremely drunk. And not the tolerable Haymitch kind of drunk.

The potential danger of the situation strikes me. I go to step past him but he moves too quickly. I trip on a discarded heel and I'm slammed back into the wall. His hand finds mine in a tight hold, stilling my movements. I want to scream but they wouldn't hear me.

"So pretty" He whispers and I can smell the alcohol on his breath. I stiffen as one hand begins to encircle my waist. "Such a shame you had to go and take something that didn't belong to you"

His arm pushes into my neck. That's how they all did it. The district seven boy, Pearl and even Cato.

"He's not happy with you but I can fix it. You see, I have to fix it or…" He drags a one finger across his neck signifying just what will happen if he doesn't 'fix it'. The meaning is not lost of me.

"You don't know what you're doing" I say strongly but to little use.

A strangled cry barely makes it from my mouth as Seneca Crane's lips smash onto mine. I taste alcohol and the bitterness of a cigarette. I scrunch up my nose as I feel the roughness of his beard scrape my skin. I try to push him off but he doesn't budge so I do the only thing I can.

With as much force as I can, I bring my knee up. I've never done that to anyone before and I feel the tiniest bit of pleasure from seeing him cry out in pain and perhaps shock. I am still a victor. They should remember that. He crumples onto me but I quickly push him away to the floor. He doesn't quite make it. I don't know how he got out here so quick, I can only assume he had followed me. He always does. I have just enough time to recognise Cato's furious face before his fist connects with Seneca Crane's jaw.

I recover rather quickly after that because I'm still running on adrenaline or perhaps it's the fear. A tell-tale crack of breaking bone breaches the silence as I realise what could have just happened. The implications of what we were made to do. Cato has just punched our head Gamemaker in the face. For me. Someone brushes past in the commotion as Cato has Seneca Crane on the ground. He grabs onto Cato's collar before he can line up for another swing.

"That's enough", It's Finnick who takes hold of Cato by the shoulders. "Shit, you did some damage"

A few peacekeepers begin to rush in from the other room. Cato is being dragged away by Finnick; screaming all types of insults as Seneca Crane is lifted to a standing position. Still a Gamemaker after all.

"Tick tock, Miss Manning" He calls out after me with blood dripping from a freshly broken nose. He starts to laugh and the colour stains his teeth. The sound is terrifying and I push my way off the balcony. This isn't just a result of drinking too much. He's crazy, delusional. "Your time is running out, Ira!"

"Shut up! Shut up!" Cato is yelling and struggling against Finnick's grip but he catches my eyes and stops. He lets them pull him away.

"Come on sweetheart" Haymitch is there now and wraps an arm around my shoulders. I want to be far away. I want to go to Cato and wrap my arms around him. I lean into Haymitch as he walks us down the corridor. It doesn't stop Seneca's voice from echoing down after us.

"Tick tock. Tick tock" And I can hear his laughter all the way to the cars.

* * *

_A/N_: Really sorry for the late chapter! I hope this makes up for it. And thank you guys for all your support. I'm definitely planning a sequel after this one. Not long now! xxx

P.S Always been a fan of Enobaria, perhaps because I've read fanfics where she's really nice but a little badass. And she survives! So maybe she'll play more of a good character in this. Also I realise I have a lot of creepy bad guys this chapter, hopefully it didn't over load anyone. R&R.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: A Way to Cope

I'm jealous of him. I'm jealous of how deep his sleep is and how easily he acquired it. I should be the one sleeping and dreaming of another place not the other way around. At least I don't snore, I think as Haymitch moans something about a girl and rolls away to the other side of the car. His head leaves my arm numb.

To say the car was silent at that point would be a severe understatement. Between Haymitch snoring next to me, Finnick laughing in near hysterics and Enobaria's half-hearted attempts at compassion, it's a wonder I haven't jumped out the side door already. Cato's silent fuming isn't helping either. He stares at his fisted hands that now bare the effects of breaking someone's nose. His unwillingness to acknowledge any one leaves me to deal with the natives.

"He had it coming. It's not like we all hadn't thought about doing it" Finnick for some unknown reason insisted on us all sharing a car. Brutus and his little friend had taken mine and Cato's, so unfortunately we had no other option. I try to ignore his constant stream of comments and flirty winks. His upbeat look of the situation is starting to get on my nerves.

"Tell you the truth, it's a wonder Snow has put up with him so long. Remember that thing in his second year?" He directs the question to Enobaria who appears to have found interest in prodding Haymitch's lifeless form with her shoe. I remember that year clearly. It was the first games they had used mutts. A demo of sorts. Someone had clearly underestimated them.

"Nineteen dead in the first five minutes. That year was fun" Enobaria grins with a flash of fangs before glancing over at me, "My tribute won of course"

"Settle down. Ira has had quite a night already, without our _friendly_ rivalries"

"It wasn't so friendly when you stole half of my sponsors" Enobaria spits and resumes extracting groans from Haymitch, "Besides, Ira seems quite capable of looking after herself. Seneca Crane's nose may not be the only thing broken"

Finnick makes a sound of displeasure and shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Enobaria laughs but I don't find the same amusement in the situation. I can't shake the image that forms in my mind. Seneca Crane, bloody and crazed, laughing and talking about my time running out.

"Bat shit crazy, if you ask me"

"Nobody did, Finnick" Enobaria responds, indifferently.

"The tick tock thing? I mean, I say some stupid things when I'm drunk but that…"

I block out the rest of the car after that. Both victors continue to review the events of the night, from Brutus' completely normal pig headed attitude to Seneca Crane being dragged out by peacekeepers. I hear the occasional appraisal of Cato's attack, or should I say rescue, but all I want to do is get back to the training centre and curl up in bed. I need to talk to Cato though. It's my fault things happened this way. If I hadn't been so focused on myself maybe the night would have gone better.

Looking over at him, his white shirt splattered with blood, I know tonight was just the tip of the iceberg. Even if we exclude what happened on the balcony, we still aren't any closer to showing our worth to Snow. Cato knows it, I know it but it's not my main interest at the moment. Another question has been raised tonight. It was just a glimpse but I saw it. It scared me. At the table, at the balcony even with Haymitch before we left. Cato has two sides. And I've witnessed both within a very small timeframe. On the rooftop, when he held his hand to my face and told me he wasn't the bad guy I thought I saw the real Cato, who he is without the games. But then there was the look in his eyes when Finnick pulled him away from Seneca. He wasn't just protecting me, he was enjoying it. Forgetting about Snow, if tonight showed anything at all, it was that I don't really know Cato at all.

My eyes are on him and as if he senses it, he looks up from his battered hands. He knows how to hide his emotions but normally I can tell everything from one glance at those untarnished blue eyes. Tonight however, they don't tell me anything and I ask myself. Am I looking into Cato's eyes or those of a career?

* * *

"Night guys. Ira! You, me next weekend! What do you say?"

"I've got a train to catch, Finnick" I yell back as Finnick stumbles through the lobby, in search of Enobaria. She left the car rather quickly and he was none too pleased.

"What did I tell you, it's Finn. Don't bring the party crasher" He signals towards Cato who's already in the elevator before tripping backwards over a coffee table. He lands with a crash between a group of capitol women who can't believe their luck. I hear a few screams and Finnick's voice before I step into the elevator.

"Ladies, perhaps you could help me" And the doors slide shut as their screams sound out in the background. The sudden silence is uncomfortable to say the least.

I should say something to Cato but I don't want to start this conversation in an elevator. At least, that's what I keep telling myself. Truth is, I don't want to start this conversation at all. I can feel his eyes on me as I watch the numbers of the floors light up. We pass two, as always Cato letting me get off first and then three. It's when the number four lights up that I get the distinct feeling I'm forgetting something.

I glance over my shoulder to find Cato still watching me and then quickly turn back around. I didn't take a purse with me, so that's not it. I didn't have to keep tabs on smaller district partners or drunken escorts. My eyes widen with shock. I've haven't forgotten something, I've forgotten someone.

"Haymitch!" I burst out, startling both Cato and myself. I can't believe I've forgotten Haymitch. It's a prime example of how much time I spend worrying about my own problems. I've left my barely conscious mentor in the back seat of a car.

Springing forward, I quickly slam the button for the ground floor. Stupid, stupid, stupid. If the driver didn't notice he was there, they could be half way across Panem by now. I internally curse Haymitch for drinking so much, for not having anything better to do than get completely blinded and in the process end up calling him every name under the sun. It's only when Cato places a hand on my shoulder that I realise I'm actually saying these things out loud. God damn that man.

"He's a fifty. And a victor" Cato says calmly as if my crazed panic was unnecessary.

"You didn't see him. He fell out his seat when you…" I stop before I can finish the sentence. Cato's hand falls off my shoulder as the elevator pings open. I feel guilty again, another emotion I add to the growing list. Panicked, worried, sick, angry and anxious. I think guilty would fit perfectly on there.

"I… I'll talk to you later" I try finding my voice but fail. I avoid his gaze as the doors open and close behind me. I've missed my chance yet again.

It would be very easy to blame all my problems on my mentor at the moment. God knows, I want to. We're all supposed to heading home tomorrow morning on the train and he decides tonight would be the best time to drink himself into oblivion. I'm starting to understand why Effie is the way she is.

"Sweeeeet hearrrrt!" I frown when I hear the hiccupping and gurgling sounds.

I don't need to turn around to know who it is. Deep breaths. I try to focus on my breathing, anything to prevent me from unleashing all my pent up emotions. He's just lucky I found him almost immediately. By some miracle he isn't travelling across Panem in the back seat of a car, but being dragged into the lobby by Chaff.

"Lost something?" He says with a toothy grin. The sight of the two older men stumbling in, settles me slightly.

"More like misplaced. Where did you find him?"

"Out by the road. He was trying to find the bar"

"Bar?" Of course the very word 'bar' would be enough to wake Haymitch out of his haze. He attempts to lift his head up in search of the source of liquor but finds he doesn't quite have the strength. With a groan, he lets his head roll forward. I hold his other side as we walk him, rather ungracefully, back into an empty elevator. Chaff takes off with a quick goodbye and I'm left to deal with Haymitch until we reach our floor. He mumbles undistinguishable things in his haze and I find my anger disappearing. I guess, we all have our own form of coping.

"You know you smell right?"

* * *

Not five minutes after I drag Haymitch into our room is he fast asleep on the couch. I watch him for a while just to make sure he takes another breath, briefly consider dumping a glass of water on his head before I walk back out and leave him to his dreams. Bad or not as least he can escape things for a while. I, on the other hand, don't have the luxury. I need to take care of something before the train.

Cato's floor is quiet and scarily undisturbed when I enter. Something about a higher district's floor being so deserted doesn't seem quite right. I keep expecting to find Brutus lurking in the shadows. It's dark enough that he probably could. I dismiss the thought though, he had company tonight.

The ping of the elevator is loud and makes me stop mid step. I feel like some sort of spy sneaking around like this but I shouldn't put this off any longer. With bare feet I shuffle across the floor but I my dress keep catching and making noise. I grab the edge of the fabirc andattempt to tip toe towards Cato's closed door. My ankles make that distinct cracking sound as I almost fall flat on my face. Spy I am not.

"It's a wonder Thresh walked past you at all, with feet like that" Cato's voice carries from across the room. I glance up to the outline of his figure, black against a window overlooking the capitol. He's sitting with his legs bent out in front him, in a pair of grey track suit pants and shirt. His voice doesn't startle me as it once did. It's his sudden talk of the games that does.

"Sor…" He goes to apologise.

"No, it's fine. I am quite the camouflage expect, thankfully" I laugh quietly, sitting down opposite him. The capitol lights are bright enough so I can make out half of his face. It's downcast if anything.

"I would know" Cato chuckles back but with less conviction, "But I meant about tonight, about the last couple of days"

"You don't have to apologise for that. If you didn't follow me…"

"You were scared" He interrupts me suddenly and gets straight to the point. I startled by how quickly his eyes grow a dark blue, "Of me"

"No, it wasn't that"

"Ira" He says louder and rakes a hand through his hair. "You think I haven't seen it before. You think I didn't see it in every one of their eyes. I never thought… I never wanted to do that to you"

His words are like a knife to my chest and with him looking at me so intensely it's making it all the more unbearable. I realise he's just as much torn up inside as me. Not trusting my own voice I let him continue.

"I trained and trained. All I ever did was practice killing other people because that's what we do. You train, you kill everyone and you win the Hunger Games. I couldn't stop. When I saw him with you" he pauses,making fists with his hands, "I didn't want to stop"

As soon as those words leave his mouth, I understand everything. He never had any choice over any this. Where I had my time before the games, Cato's entire life has been centred around them. Every choice he's made has been to get here and it's safe to say I don't exactly fit in with that plan. He's made attempts to adjust and all I been focusing on is how much he's remained the same. I know which one outweighs the other.

"I understand"

Cato doesn't react as I move over to him. His eyes remain locked on the skyline, still glittering in the dark. I shift closer until I our knees are touching. He finally begins to break from his haze when my hand reaches up to the side of his face. I make him look at me. I have a thousand things I could to say to him but after he's explained all those things, things I never expected someone like him to say, there's only one thing I really want to do. My fingers slide to the back of his neck, tugging gently at his short hair. Cato doesn't help me at all, merely watching but with very little effort on my part, I pull him forward. As soon as our lips touch, I'm filled that familiar warm tingly feeling. Cato quickly responds. I lean further into him or it may be me pulling him even closer. His lips slide against mine as I wrap my other arm around him. He does the same, placing hands at my lower back and with a quick spin I'm laid out underneath him. The sensation of his lips against mine is quickly replaced with the warmth of his tongue. I sigh and I suppose I would be a little embarrassed if I could process another single thing other than what Cato is doing to me. My hands find his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt. I'm so caught up in getting as close I can to him that when Cato's pulls back the cold air shocks me. I'm left breathless and wanting more.

"It's going to happen again" He says but I barely hear him over the drumming in my ears. I quickly shake my head, reaching up for his face again. He doesn't resist and I feel my courage growing. I suck on his lower lip, causing him to groan.

"Ira" He says huskily but the way his hand slides up my leg I can tell he's forgotten what his point was. I remember.

"I don't care" I whisper against his lips, "I don't care"

It's the last thing I manage to get out before his lips claim mine once more. In that moment, I really don't care about anything Cato may or may not do. He's here. We lived which is a miracle in itself. And all of a sudden, our departure tomorrow seems like the worse thing in the world.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Departures

_A/N_: This chapter involved a bit of 'I'll do it a little later. I'll do it a little later'. Sorry for the wait. I also have to apologise for not giving you a fair warning. This is the _**final **_chapter! More info at the bottom, and enjoy!

* * *

_**President Snow's mansion**_

_In accordance to Capitol building codes of authority… expansion of North Eastern sector requires acknowledgment…respectively, Head of Industrial Management, Lucius Vlane_

President Snow sits silently at his desk, skimming over the latest pile of approvals. With a quick, precise movement he signs the paper without a second glance and moves onto the next.

… _the induction of fifty trainee peacekeepers into District Eleven. Needed ASAP…_

He signs and grants them an extra twenty. Things haven't quite settled down in the districts yet.

_President Snow, requesting time away from current arrangement for... signed Finnick Odair._

He knew who this one was from before he had even read the tiny, almost undistinguishable name. Snow smiles at the request and promptly slides it off his desk onto the floor. With times as they are he needed his victors in the public eye. He couldn't afford the favourable ones running home to their little friends. But it didn't stop them from taking his attention away from more pressing matters. Picking up his pen once more, Snow skips the rest of the pile for a larger dark green folder at the bottom.

'_Urgent Delivery. Flagged for HG ACT'_

Now this was definitely worth his attention. It had taken longer than expected to get here. After all, it had been agreed upon by the Gamemakers more than a week ago. But none the less it was finally here. His pale wrinkled hand finds the folder's edge and flicks it open. However, only half way down the list of chosen Gamemakers, he's interrupted. There's a loud commotion in the hallway leading to his office, a flurry of harsh words followed by the sound of a vase smashing. Snow lifts his head just as the doors fly open and the source of his latest troubles stumbles in.

"That bastard broke my nose!" Seneca Crane, bloody and slightly off balance, storms in. With one hand he clutches a handkerchief to his nose but it doesn't stop him leaving a trail of blood behind him. Snow simply raises an eye brow at a man so normally reserved.

"Seneca. What can I help you with?"

"I was attacked and then dragged away like some common district dog!"

"So it would seem" Snow says indifferently before continuing to mull over the contents of his folder. He had heard about what happened tonight and who had actually caused the display. Either way both parties would need reminding of their place. "You said you had it under control"

"I did. I… I am but they're…"

"Victors? Perhaps you should remember that next time" Snow stands and walks over to his window overlooking the capitol. The lights are still sparkling as always. It used to be pleasant sight, now it just reminds him of everything he stands to lose.

"You wanted the problem fixed"

"Discreetly" Snow's eyes fly back to the younger man, "Seneca. Do you remember the first time you were in this office? I said that there were plenty of others, others more experienced, wiser. They were willing to take up this position but your family had a proud tradition of becoming Gamemakers and you seemed so _keen_"

"I remember but what does that have to do with this?"

"I also said that the position was a temporary one"

"I thought…"

"That a few good games changed things. Your father thought the same too, god rest his soul"

The sudden mention of his father has Seneca fidgeting in his seat. He wasn't a bad man but spending so much time in the capitol had changed him. His father had become cruel, uncaring and in the time he actually spent home he was holed up in his office, taking phone calls at all hours of the night. Usually it was after those phone calls that he disappeared on business meetings. One night he just didn't come back. Heart attack in his capitol office. It was Seneca's grandfather, the only retired Gamemaker he had heard of, that told the story differently. But by then Seneca was already in the system and he knew all too well how dangerous President Snow could be.

"You have the drafts for next year. It will be one of the best"

"Yes, I don't doubt that. Of course it will need some changes but the basis is there. My problem, Seneca, is that the damage has already been done"

* * *

_**Ira POV**_

_My toes are ice cold. They verge on numbness as I walk through the long spidery grass. It's damp beneath and with each step, water splashes up the back of my legs. I wish I had worn shoes. Why have I forgotten to wear shoes? The question plagues me as I push on, further into the forest. My dress catches on a hidden obstacle, causing me to stumble. It rips a hole through the seamless lilac material. Petunia will not be happy with me. But then again she's not here. _

_My steps grow faster and more determined. The crickets fall silent as if sensing my presence and in doing so add to the dreaded emptiness of this place. The trees blur as I continue to stagger forwards. I leave the long grass and enter the clearing._

"_Come on Ira. We have to go" My eyes flick towards the source of the sound. To the little boy who stands in front of a towering cornucopia. His hands hang limp by his side and his stare locked on me. _

"_What are you doing?" He asks calmly when I don't respond._

"_Dany?" I whisper as a smile spreads across his face. It's the only sign he gives me before taking off into the forest._

"_Dany!" I call out, giving chase._

_I follow the blur of orange hair deeper into the darkness. Damp ferns whip at my knees and grab at the trail of my dress. I'm breathing heavily when I finally slow. Dany is nowhere to be seen._

"_Nice try"_

"_Get off me"_

"_You know whatever this is, both of you don't stand a chance" Where I expect to find Dany, his childlike voice is replaced with one of a more menacing nature._

"_Cato, please" I beg him. Only it isn't me. But it is._

_I glance up, from my position and instantly freeze. The voice was my own. Something I had said long ago in complete desperation. I watch as Cato pins me underneath him. I remember this scene well._

"_It's just me" I see myself pleading but Cato just smiles. I run over the memory in my head. He's supposed to let go. Right now, he lets me go._

"_Do I look like a fool?" Cato laughs, "I'll make you a deal. I'm going to go and find your little friend. You can stay here and…bleed to death"_

_Cato sword enters my stomach before I can move. A sick feeling clutches at my insides as I watch myself die. I'm not supposed to die here. I live. Cato and I live. _

"_I told you I would do it again" He says facing me, not my dying form. He's covered in blood, my blood. _

"_Ira! Ira, we have to go!" Dany is at my side screaming, pulling at my hand to follow him. He's tugging on my dress in urgency. Cato approaches, coated in red._

"_Ira!"_

"Ira"

I'm startled awake by someone's hand upon my face. The touch, normally so warm and comforting sends me jumping from the couch I'm on. With a thud, I hit the floor. He killed me, Cato actually killed me. I think incredulously and scramble backwards. My mind jumps between rational thoughts and images of blood. Of course he didn't kill me but is that how it would have happened? If he did? My head connects with the coffee table and I'm reminded of reality. While the nightmare had me distracted, there's a reason I'm on Cato's floor and not my own. The thought of last night has me shooting upright with flushed cheeks.

"Remind me not to try and wake you up again" Cato is sitting on the edge of the couch with a look of amusement. The nightmare is replaced with better memories.

"Are you alright?" He asks, looking down at me. I swallow and make an attempt to flatten my unruly hair.

"Fine"

"Because you look like just saw a ghost. That or my prep has done a better job than I thought"

At that comment, I forget his mention of ghosts, and lob a pillow at his head. He smirks, catching it right in front of his face. I shake my head with a smile.

"You are so…"

"Wait. I know this one" Cato stands, quickly crossing to grab my waist. I try to squirm out of his hold but he just pulls me closer against his chest. I raise an eyebrow.

"Ignorant" He smirks and leans down to place a kiss on my temple. I feel my heart stammer. His lips lower to my cheek. Right, that's where we had left things last night.

"Conceited" He follows, reaching at the edge of my mouth. He is getting dangerously close to…

A sound of disgust causes us to freeze. Cato groans and I quickly spin out of his arms in embarrassment. I feel my eyes dropping to my feet but the sight before me is too good to look away.

"Please" Enobaria groans as she walks past the living room. However, it would be safe to say this woman doesn't look anything like the Enobaria I know. Her dark hair is ruffled; a once beautiful dress drags behind her, collecting dust. She carries a pair of heels in one hand. I almost smile at the thought of Enobaria partying into the night. She doesn't seem the type.

"I've vomited enough this morning. I do not need to see that. Whatever that is" She points a finger in our general direction before tip toeing into another room. My head follows her movements. "Prep team is back!"

There's another loud groan of disappointment from behind me.

* * *

"You know I picked you to win this thing. Right from the beginning I said, Ells, you should watch that girl she's got star potential. I mean, I had my doubts. You don't exactly radiate glamour but you've got a brain. Isn't that right, May?"

"I thought you liked the district one girl?"

"Well ofcourse in the beginning. But after you found Cato…" The twin fiddling with my hair holds her hand over her heart, cooing about young love. I understand now, why Cato was so happy to share his prep team. I scowl at the mirror, watching him snigger. When I get out of here…

"Ooh and when he ran in to rescue you"

The rambling continues between the almost identical girls as if I wasn't even in the room. They sigh and make strange sounds that suggest their voices have been altered in some way. The only difference between them is that one appears slightly taller than the other. I'm yet to identify exactly who is who.

"Ells, you want to use the flat brush"

"But this one worked fine"

"How long have you been working here? Hmm. Less than me, so budge over" I feel them start tugging on my eyebrows and I wince. I hear laughter from Cato's direction.

"Don't you have something you need to do?" I ask him.

"Nope. I'm completely free to enjoy your suffering" He smirks and put his hands in his pockets. I lose sight of him as walks around in front of me.

"Train leaves in an hour" Cato states, suddenly and without his usual humour. I look up at him to find his eyes turned away from me.

"No more strange food, high heels or early wake ups. I feel better already" I stop laughing when I notice his expression.

"I don't"

"You don't want to go home?"

"Yes and no. I hate this place but district Two doesn't have everything" His gaze is on me as he says those words. I can't help but feel there's more to what he's saying but the chatter in the background makes it impossible to concentrate. What does the capitol have that district two doesn't? And if he hates this place so much why would he want to stay?

There's a knock at the door before I can ask him what he means.

"Train" Enobaria says with a very annoyed voice. She pokes her head in and flings the door wider as our indication to leave. I'm the first to follow her words. Next is a strangely reluctant Cato.

* * *

The train station is even more crowded than when we arrived as tributes. Now as victors, it's worse than at the mansion. They scream. They jump. And some even push at the barrier of peacekeepers. I don't think I'll ever get used to this. Unlike the other victors that lap it up, the whole thing seems unnatural to me. I wish it were my last time doing this but this is only the start.

Cato has been separated from me since we exited the cars. Enobaria braves the crowds first, and I thankful for it. However, I'm less thankful that I'll be sharing the train with not only her but Brutus. He's back with Cato as far as I can tell. It seems both District Two and Six will be sharing the train. My face drops for a second but quickly recovers. I wave back at the crowds before disappearing into the side door of the train. Haymitch is waiting for me when I get on.

"Wait until the victory tour. Absence makes the crowds fonder" He places an arm over my shoulder and leads me further into the carriage. I glance behind, hoping to spot Cato but Haymitch is determined. He pulls me through carriages until by no coincidence we end up in the bar cart.

"Haymitch, I should find Cato. He was a little…"

"Smug? Bothersome? He'll live. We need to have a little chat" I sigh, accepting I won't be getting out of here in a hurry and slump in a seat. Haymitch fills a glass with ice.

"I don't want to talk about last night"

"Neither do I, sweetheart. Though details of how I ended up on our floor would be helpful"

"You mean how you and Enobaria got a little too frisky in the car and decided to get to know each other?"

"Now I'm sure I would remember that" Haymitch laughs with a wink. It's like talking about boys to a father. I cringe inwardly and quickly inform him of his attempts to find a bar on a capitol road. I also spare a glance down the hallway, trying to locate Cato.

"Good old Chaff" Haymitch responds at plonks down in the seat opposite me, "No, I wanted to talk about the others. Effie and the pink one"

"Petunia?" At least he's not avoiding the conversation. I have a feeling he doesn't hate these people as much as he lets on. I grow worried at his hesitation.

"Right, that one. There's a reason they haven't been around"

"Where are they?"

"Gone" He sips on his drink. Gone. I repeat the word in my head, trying to grasp its meaning. My eyes widen. Gone. They're capitol citizens, they can't be… Haymitch notices my change in demeanour.

"Oh, not _gone_ gone. Just spooked is all"

"Spooked?"

"They took off while you were in the games. After the incident, they caught wind of some rumours. I saw Effie the other day, off to some meet and greet. I tell you I don't know where that woman gets her energy from. Must be on…"

"Haymitch" I try to put him back on track.

"The others I'm not sure of. Petunia, I think is on television. You can hardly blame them. They're not used to this type of thing"

"I don't think anyone is" I say solemnly, sinking further into the chair. The good news is my suspicion of their death has been disproved. Now I just have to face the fact that they've all abandoned me. The information while better, still stings. They are from the capitol. Yet they were there during the worst times of my life. Annoying or not, I would rather them here.

"You'd be surprised" Haymitch mumbles and leaves me to my thoughts.

I don't know what Haymitch has gone through but surely it can't be worse than this. I have Snow after my head for something I didn't even intend. The capitol is watching me for the slightest slip up but I won't give them the chance to punish me. Not after all this. From what Haymitch has just told things haven't settled down at all. And it's all focused on me. After all, Cato's prep team stayed.

I rest my head in my hands. Nothing makes sense anymore. I have strange dreams that are warning me about Cato. Yet I don't ever want to let him go. My prep team has left in fear of Snow. Yet he doesn't make any move to punish me for what I've done. I'm going home. This should be the end of it all.

I make the decision, right there that I don't care. I told Cato last night that I didn't care if he's not in complete control. I'm not either. I need him. I quickly stand and make my way back into the main carriages. I seek out Cato.

The hallways blink dark and then brighten again as the train sets off through one of the many capitol tunnels. The sound of the cheering is gone. A welcome relief. I don't need anything else confusing me. But something always does. It's when I pass by one of the bedroom doors that I catch something I probably shouldn't have. It makes my stomach clench and I feel ill.

"The official reason? Drug overdose. He took one too many painkillers. They found him in his bed this morning"

Through the slight opening in the door, I recognise Brutus' voice. I can see Cato's reflection in a mirror. He runs a hand through his hair with a concerned expression.

"Unofficial reason?" He asks.

"Two victors wasn't his best idea"

"Shit. He's the head Gamemaker. What does that mean for us?"

"_You_ need to remove yourself from the situation. Snow has set his sights on the girl. It will only be a matter of time and you can't get caught in the cross fire"

My legs almost give in as the train shudders around a turn. I fall back against the opposite wall, barely managing to keep upright. Brutus' words ring in my ears. _'It will only be a matter of time'. _Seneca Crane is dead, because of me and it's suddenly obvious I'm prep team was right to leave me. And now it seems everyone else is jumping ship, including the boy on the other side of this door.

"I understand" Cato says as if to finish the conversation. I hear movement and just before the door opens, I quickly step around into the next carriage. My back finds the wall just in time. Brutus and Cato step out into the hallway.

"We're careers" I imagine the words coming from Brutus' mouth and I shiver. He laughs and another carriage door rattles. I can tell Cato has remained and with me being in the last carriage, I'm trapped. I take a deep breath.

"I was looking for you" I say smiling and step back into the hallway. Cato's hair is ruffled up and he's breathing quite deeply. He's look as if he's about to kill someone. That's not something I want to think about. "Are you alright?"

"Can we talk?" He ignores my question with one of his own. Act like you heard nothing, I tell myself. Cato reaches forward to grab my hand and leads us back into the bedroom he had just left.

The door slides shut behind us, leaving the room oddly silent. The sound of the train is a distant rumble. I take another deep breath as Cato leads us over to the bed. We sit on the edge with a noticeable gap between us. He leans forward, his elbows on his knees.

"They'll stop at my district first" He says, fisting his hands together, "in a couple of hours"

I nod my head, not knowing what to say. He's caught in the cross fire. It makes sense that he would remove himself. The image of the star crossed lovers won't keep the peace forever, anyways. He takes a deep breath and before I know it he's clasping his hands around mine. Our eyes lock and he tightens the grip. I prepare myself. Cato can't die because of me. This is a good thing.

"Come to Two with me"

* * *

_**President Snow's mansion**_

As the news of Seneca Crane's unfortunate death circulates around his city, Snow watches from the window of his office. He adjusts the tiny bud on his lapel and walks back to his desk, stepping straight through the little spots of blood his Gamemaker had left the previous night. It reminds him that there's one last thing left to deal with. He clutches the dark green folder and promptly signs across the dotted line. Snow smiles and calls for his assistant.

"I want this delivered by tonight"

With a quick and simple sentence, he sets his plan in motion. Seneca Crane wasn't the only one to be fooled by two particular victors. He had merely been the public face that took the blame. Everything Snow had worked had been at risk, his control, his country, and his games. The head Gamemaker, who had caused all this, was only a minor problem. He was dealt with easily. However, the victors of the seventy-fourth Hunger Games would need something bigger. And as if it were a parting gift, Seneca Crane had given him just the thing.

"To where, sir?" Snow slides his white hand across the folder before handing it over.

"Plutarch Heavensbee"

* * *

_A/N_: Ah! I am a terrible person for leaving you with such a cliff hanger. Don't worry the sequel will be up in one-two weeks, so you won't be waiting long. But I need a little help. Should Ira head to Two with Cato? Or should she head home? I haven't spoken about her family at all but it means less Cato time! Anyways, let me know. And on the sequel, when it's up I'll add a chapter to this one saying so. Thank you to my lovely reviewers, favs, followers and readers. You are all gorgeous and I'll properly thank everyone next chapter. xxx


	30. Chapter 30

Hey guys, it's been awhile but I've finally added the sequel to this story. It's called Someone Worth Saving and you can find it on my profile.

Check it out and let me know what you think!


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